Key to a Forgotten Past
by Nekochan Kawaii
Summary: [Sequel to “The Door to my Memories”] Seven years have passed since Tohru’s memories were erased, and she now teaches primary school. But when a young Sohma child in her class falls ill, the secrets behind Tohru's past slowly start to unfold... [Kyouru]
1. Prologue: Behind that Locked Door

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: Oh please… do I even have to say this? Well, I suppose I must… I **don't** own Fruits Basket. I just have nothing better to do with my life than writing fan fictions of it… _

_**Some quick notes:** This is the sequel to the one-shot "The Door to my Memories". Please read that story first before you read this! Trust me: if not, you will be completely lost. Also, this fanfiction is smattered with miscellaneous spoilers from throughout the manga, up to the most recent chapters. Read at your own risk!_

Prologue: Behind that Locked Door

A young girl by the name of Tohru Honda sat on her bed with a sorrowful look in her wide, dark-brown eyes. Several weeks had passed since the day she had come home to her grandfather's house, and although she seemed to have returned to her cheerful self once more, she couldn't help wondering constantly what did occur to put that empty feeling inside her heart… that feeling that a huge part of her memory had become missing… _forgotten_.

She had been told that she suffered from a small bout of amnesia after an accident during the week after her high school graduation, during which she had lost some recollection of her three years in high school. Tohru had willingly believed this, herself, but somehow, she felt there was more to it than they were telling her. She felt she had not just lost memories of a few small events, as her friends had told her on the day she moved back into her grandfather's house, but Tohru felt as if a whole part of her had vanished, as if it had never existed.

_Sometimes, I feel as if something is missing… And, for a long time, I've been wondering what it is._

_It is as if a locked door is closing the path to my memories…_

_Holding them from me…_

_Until I find the key to see what could be behind._

_But, no matter how much I try…_

_The door remains locked..._

_And the key… unfound._

What was worse – as time went on, Tohru felt as if she had been forgetting more and more about her years in high school... Was that normal for amnesia? She had absolutely no idea. As she looked across the room, with sadness in her eyes, she wondered whether she would ever fully remember what exactly happened for it to turn out this way. It was a desire that she deeply longed for, a hope that gripped her heart everyday, as she thought in her mind:

_I can only hope that someday, I'll find that key, and be able to open that door. And then… maybe then I will see, with my own eyes, the forgotten past contained inside._

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 1:** And, so begins the sequel of "The Door to my Memories"! Mark you, the prologue of this story takes place a few weeks after "The Door to my Memories", while the rest takes place seven years after that time, during which Tohru was eighteen. This means, of course, that for the remainder of the story, Tohru is 25 years old. There is a lot of back-story as to what happened during this time, which, unfortunately, will probably not make its way into this story… I might talk about it in my ramblings later on, but for now, I'm just going to be giving you a minimal amount of insight on the life of Tohru Honda during those seven years… which you will hear about in chapter one! Until next time… then!


	2. Chapter 1: Moving Day

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, and I regret to inform you… **I never will.**_

Chapter 1: Moving Day

On a cool night in early spring, nearly seven years later, a young woman with dark brown eyes and hair sat squarely beside a large cardboard box, as she looked through her possessions wearily. It was quite late at night, and as she had been packing and repacking all day long for the move to her new apartment, she was now thoroughly exhausted - so much so, in fact, that even her forever-present optimism was finding it hard to cope.

She still had a few hours before the movers arrived, when she was to be whisked away to her small, cozy apartment in the outskirts of Tokyo, where she would be living from then on. She had been offered a teaching position at a private elementary school there, and had accordingly decided to relocate herself to a slightly closer area, as she did not wish to complicate things by having to travel much farther than she should have to. She figured that it was best to get done with the packing early so that she could have time to check that she had not forgotten anything several times – just as a precaution, in the off-chance that she might.

As she went through the remainder of her possessions, she hastily, yet neatly, stowed every last item with great care inside the each box. She did not have many possessions, mark you, but the few she had were quite dear to her. Each had a meaning that was to be cherished – as one would cherish a warm memory. Many of the objects she had stored away inside this box acted as reminders of distant pasts, such as the tattered, red hat that, after all these years, she still so deeply cherished or the photograph of her mother, whom she still kept so close to her heart even though nearly a decade had passed since her tragic death.

Suddenly, she heard the unmistakable noise of footsteps start to grow nearer from the end of the hall. Following them, the sharp voice of an older woman rang into her ears, calling out, "Tohru-chan? Have you finished packing your things yet?"

Tohru answered sweetly, with a cheerful smile on her face, "Yes, Auntie… almost."

Her aunt rounded the corner and entered the room. She replied with a slightly impatient note in her voice and a small sigh, "Still not finished yet, I see? Oh dear… The movers will be arriving within a few hours, and you _still_ are not finished packing, yet? What to do… what to do…?"

Tohru responded, looking up at her aunt from her spot on the floor, her expression unchanging, "There is no need to worry! I am almost finished… I've just a few more items to pack…"

However, the older woman merely sighed, and said, "Sometimes I really do wonder where all of that cheerfulness comes from… Well… anyway, I don't suppose you will be joining us for dinner, then? My son and daughter are over to visit, and I'm sure they would be _thrilled_ to see you." Yet, the excessive emphasis she made on the word "thrilled" could not have shown her sarcasm more clearly. Although Tohru preferred to think otherwise, her cousins were not exactly the friendliest one would ever meet… No doubt, they practically _loathed_ her.

Tohru replied calmly, eyeing the nearly diminished pile of her possessions on the pale blue carpet, "No, I think I should be able to finish by then… I'm sure of it! Would you like me to cook something for you? I'm sure it would not be a bother… at all…"

Hearing this, her aunt snapped coldly, "I am _perfectly_ capable of cooking dinner, myself, thank you very much!" To which she stormed out of the room, having taken offense by Tohru's kind offer of help. Tohru, looking rather bewildered, wondered worriedly what she could have possibly done to harbor such an angry reaction from her aunt. However, she had become accustomed to this in the seven years of her living in her aunt's home, as her aunt's temper rose fairly quickly on even the most ordinary of days… Tohru just tried to be as kind as possible when this happened, and hoped that everything would be all right.

She had lived with her aunt and two cousins ever since her grandfather's death three years ago. Her grandfather had been a very sickly person, and a few years ago, he finally passed on. The funeral had been very sad, nearly as sad as that for her mother, in Tohru's opinion. Yet, she had wished the best for him once he died, praying that he would be happy in the next life, knowing that her grandfather would be able to see Tohru's mother again and be reunited with his own son once more. Holding on to that thought, she smiled through the tears, and had managed to live through the hardship that his death had brought and remain strong, as she had when her mother passed away.

She continued packing the various items inside the box. There were many things she had thought she'd misplaced or did not recognize entirely: a watch she had received long ago which she had not seen for many years, given by a friend she could not quite place the name of and a pretty yellow hair ribbon that she could not recognize at all and wondered how on earth it had came to be inside this room. As she was rummaging through the contents of a dusty storage cabinet located in the corner of the room, her eyes stumbled upon a small dark-green notebook at the very bottom of the cabinet. Somehow, the notebook seemed oddly familiar, as if she had seen it once or twice before… However, although she wished to look inside it just to know what it contained, she decided it would have to wait because she had to finish the packing quickly. She set the notebook aside on the top of the large cardboard box, and quickly sealed the box with some masking tape.

A few minutes later, she arrived downstairs with the filled box in her arms. She carefully dropped the box by the door, and walked over to the kitchen. As she entered, her aunt and her two cousins, who both waved at her, with slight looks of contempt in their eyes, greeted her. However, Tohru, as usual, missed this, and glossed over it with an innocent smile, as she crossed to the table. The table had already been set, and dinner had been ready, so she kindly thanked her aunt, who smiled back at her sweetly, saying, "After all, it is your last night here… you'd do better enjoying it, rather than spending hours slaving over a hot stove."

Tohru answered sweetly, looking at the onigiri in the center of the table that her aunt had made, "Well… thank you! It looks delicious." She grinned happily, and served a rather tasty plum onigiri to herself, which really was quite good, considering her aunt, who honestly didn't have the _best_ cooking skills, had made it. Once she had finished her dinner, she placed her chopsticks neatly on the dish, and started to wash them.

As she did this, one of her cousins – her aunt's son – inquired, "Tohru-chan… why are you moving anyway? Wouldn't moving away from here make it harder for you to go to work at the local preschool?" He shot her a suspicious glance, as he rose his cup of tea from the table to drink.

She replied, with a soft laugh, "It would… but I won't be teaching there anymore. I am moving because I will be teachingthird year elementarystudents at Tsurumaki Academy! I'm just so excited about it! I'm sure teaching there will be quite a lot of fun."

He answered, "Oh really…?" Under his breath, so neither Tohru nor anybody else would be able to clearly hear, he added, in a murmur, "Of course… I'm surprised that children can actually _learn_ from a ditzy scatter-brain like her…"

Tohru, not having heard her cousin's snide remark, responded with wide eyes and a smile, "Yes! Of course, I was sad to give up teaching at Kiseki Preschool…." Her voice faded slightly, and her mouth twisted into a small sigh. "…But I've been teaching there for three years now, so I figured that it was time to move on."

Her other cousin cut into the conversation, replying grudgingly, "We wish you luck in the coming school year then… You're going to need it, with all the little slimeballs you'll be trying to teach basic arithmetic to…"

Tohru answered, gasping slightly, "Slimeballs? Heavens, no! Umm… that is… they'll be fun to teach… I'm sure they—!"

Her aunt interrupted with a sympathetic tone of voice, "My daughter does have a point, dear… Teaching primary school students is not entirely the same as teaching preschoolers. You have to keep a watchful eye for mischief…. You never know what those little rascals may be scheming beneath those innocent expressions of theirs."

Tohru giggled nervously. It was true… she had been a bit hesitant about taking up the job, to begin with, because she knew that teaching elementary school would be a slightly different experience than her preschool teaching days. However, she had promised herself and her superiors that she would take the post at Tsurumaki Academy, and… at least it wasn't a junior high or high school that she would be teaching at, right?

Lost in her own thoughts, Tohru barely noticed ten minutes later when her aunt stood up, looked towards the window, and announced the arrival of the movers in the driveway, "Ah… Tohru-chan…. It looks like the movers have arrived…"

Tohru's eyes widened as she frantically shifted her gaze towards the window. "EH? Oh dear… I-I must go, then…" _Thank goodness I finished the packing early… I wasn't expecting them to arrive for a few more hours._ She stood up hastily and crossed the floor of the room quickly. Scrambling to get the dishes clean and everything done and ready before she left, several dishes she was cleaning nearly slipped from her hands and landed with a large _clatter_ upon the hard countertop.

Seeing her niece's desperate struggle to wash the dishes within a split second, in an attempt to be sure that her dishware remained reasonably intact, her aunt told Tohru, "Just… go, okay? Don't worry about the dishes… I'll wash them later. You need to get going… so I can handle these from there." She walked over to Tohru, and took the dishes from her hands. She flashed a polite smile at her niece, and said, "You'd best be going, before it gets too late."

Tohru's eyes widened, as she replied nervously, "Ummm… I--I suppose so…" She grabbed her bag from beside the door and bowed her head deeply in respect towards her aunt. "Thank you, so very much, for allowing me to impose upon your generous hospitality… I am so very grateful."

She flashed a sweet smile towards her aunt, and slid out of the room. Shutting the front door behind her softly, she stepped out into the cool night air, which embraced her gently, as she placed her bags inside her car and drove away into the dark night.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 2:** And thus… Chapter 1 is officially **over**! (Neko feels so proud of herself!) As you may have noticed…. it has been such a long time since my last update! I was previously taking a break from fanfictions, because I felt particularly uninspired, I suppose. However, I'm back now…. And hopefully I will be updating my two current fanfic projects as frequently as I can from now on. As for the contents of this chapter itself, the main reason why Tohru has been living with her Aunt for this long, is because when Tohru's grandfather passed away, he left the house to Tohru. However, since her Aunt had been living there with them as well, she continued to reside there with Tohru even after the old man's death. However, because the new school that Tohru will be teaching at is located in a different part of town, Tohru has decided to move to a different location closer to the school, leaving the house to her Aunt once again.

Oh… and… Why, a teacher? Well, for one thing, that was the only job I could make Tohru have that could work with this plotline…. (and you will see why momentarily) and another thing… Who couldn't imagine Tohru as a teacher? She may be a verifiable space cadet but she did reasonably well in school, and after all she's only teaching primary school kids! Plus, Tohru seems like the type of person that would love to teach kids… so, I thought teaching would be a suitable job for her. You'll see next chapter how she fares in her new teaching job!


	3. Chapter 2: First Impressions

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of Fruits Basket's plot, characters, etc. However, I do own this story's plot and any of my original characters._

Chapter 2: First Impressions

Tohru gazed at her watch in panic, as it struck eight o' clock right before her eyes. She strode forward onto the steps of the bus hurriedly, in a desperate effort to make it to her class on time. However, as she did this, the clumsy young woman slipped in a puddle and fell backwards onto the wet floor. It seemed as though the teacher was to be arriving to school long after the final class bell rang.

In a hurry to get to school in reasonable time, Tohru struggled to regain her balance, and again, stood up. Brushing off the little bit of mud splattered across the surface of her skirt, she hurried to catch up to the bus, which passed by nevertheless, without a single bit of notice to the girl running after it.

_Oh no!_ Tohru thought, watching the bus go by with tears beginning to stream down her flushed cheeks. _The next bus won't be until 8:35… what am I to do? Class starts at 8:30, and if I'm not there… I'm sure to be fired!_ With a look of worry and alarm expressed in her usually angelically cheerful appearance, the onigiri collapsed onto the rain-drenched sidewalk in sadness.

_It's all over now… I may as well pack my bags and return back to Auntie's home…_

The rain poured down heavily upon Tohru, making her freshly ironed clothes stick to her fair skin and water trickle down her once dry hair. Spring showers seemed to creep up on people when they least expected it… and this occurrence was absolutely no exception.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind her. Its quality was rather husky and belonging to a woman. It cried out, "Tohru! Are you okay? What the heck are you doing here?"

Tohru turned to look up from her kneeling position on the floor, in an effort to see the owner of the voice. Its owner was a tall woman, with long blonde hair, and sharp dark brown eyes. Although normally her appearance would intimidate rather than comfort, she gazed at Tohru with gentle sympathy and concern in her eyes, to which Tohru replied between sobs to her good friend, "Uo-chan! I am so very happy to see you! Umm…. I—I m-missed the bus…. And I am going to be late for work! So… I… that is…"

"Tohru! You shouldn't push yourself like that! Here, I'll offer you a lift to wherever you need to go…" Uo replied with a pitying look on her face. She, herself, would be late to work by extending this bit of kindness towards her friend. However, she dare not mention it towards Tohru, who would likely feel guilty because of it and insist she go ahead to work and leave her to her own devices. She led a flushed and rain-drenched Tohru towards her car, and said, "Here, now, where you need to go?"

Tohru replied, apparently taking a sudden interest with the clothing folds of her skirt, "The elementary wing at Tsurumaki Academy… I hope this isn't too out of your way to be doing… If not, then I suppose I could just walk…"

Uo assured her, "Tsurumaki Academy? No problem… it's not out of my way. Besides, that's what friends are for, eh? Now, don't feel so down, or I'll have to beat you up because of it!" She chuckled softly at her joke (as she would never beat her best friend up like she did to others during her all-girl-gang days in junior high), as Tohru gazed wearily at the stormy atmosphere outside, still convinced that she was being horrible by imposing upon her friend's generosity in this way.

Tohru responded, with a feeble smile, graciously thankful for her friend's kindness, "Thank you so very much! I am so grateful!"

"No worries!" Uo answered, her eyes gazing towards the road ahead, as she sped through the road at the speed equivalent to what one would drive on a freeway. "But… why are you going to work at that prep school… Tsurumaki Academy? I thought you were working at some preschool across town… Or at least, that was what Hana said… Unless she was lying… and trying to keep you all to herself…" Hana was known to be overly protective of Tohru, so Uo didn't put it past her to do some such thing.

Tohru answered with a sweet smile on her face, "Oh, heavens no! I just decided to switch teaching jobs. Teaching elementary school students sounds so fun, so I can't wait to get started…"

Uo laughed nervously. She could hardly imagine what the fate of her ditzy friend might be once she got through teaching maybe even one week of elementary school. Nevertheless, she wished her good luck, "Well, have fun then, and good luck… You'll be needing it, with all the little rich brats you're going to be teaching from now on." She pulled up at the driveway of the school, as Tohru took in her first glimpse at its majesty and glory. Having gone to public schools for all of her life, Tohru had seldom come across a school as well kempt and cared for as this. Her eyes were blown away, at the beauty of its architecture, and the myriad of brilliant white columns marking the entrance of the school. She felt so intimidated by its grace and magnificence, and suddenly very conscious of the fact that her plaid skirt was stained with mud, marking her appearance as a veritable pauper among virtual royalty.

Bidding Uo farewell, Tohru disembarked herself from the car. Stepping out into the cool air, she observed her surroundings once more and became lost in a world of splendor. She walked forward, through the courtyard of the school, gazing at the young children running past. Their carefree laughter and smiling faces marked the atmosphere with a cheerful mood, overriding the gray, despondent pall that the weather had earlier cast upon the area. Everything seemed so perfect, as if Tohru was suspended in a dream world of happiness and smiles… until the first bell rang, making her mind plummet back to into brutal reality once more.

_Oh no! I completely forgot! I have to hurry and get to class on time… the students must already be there! This is horrible…_ She dashed through the front entrance and down the hallway. It must have been such an odd sight to see, a teacher hustling down the hallway a minute after the first bell rang, in a desperate attempt to make it to the class she was supposed to be teaching before the final bell tolled. She grasped her book bag tightly, to be sure that it didn't slide out of her hands in her run (although, she needn't worry… because she had never been that quick a runner anyway). Panting heavily, she came to an immediate stop when she saw the sign saying Class 3-A. With a triumphant smile on her face, she took a deep breath, straitened up her skirt and blouse, in an attempt to freshen up her appearance for a reasonably good first impression on the students, and reached out for the doorknob of the room, excited to see the smiling and eager faces of her students for the very first time…

…Or so she thought, anyway. However, as she entered the room, Tohru was immediately greeted by a small wave of stifled snickers coming from a few small children in the back of the room. Mischievous grins spread across their faces, the three young girls exchanged smirks. Tohru was bewildered. What was so funny? Was it her appearance? The fact that she had made her introduction several minutes after the bell had rung? Once again, she began to feel strangely self-conscious of the fact that dried mud was smeared all across her front. Of course… they must be laughing at this. But, okay, Mom, I can do this! I just need to make the best impression I can. She cast a warm, yet slightly nervous smile upon the students, and crossed the classroom floor over to the desk that had been set up for her, placing her bag hastily upon its surface.

She straitened herself to full height once more. Her heart beating at a slightly higher rate than usual, she tried to relax herself once more. Once she had somewhat gathered her composure, she finally greeted the students, beaming sweetly in response to their inquisitive expressions, "Good morning, everybody! My name is Tohru Honda and I will be your teacher this year… Um…." However, she soon realized that the students seemed rather taken by something… their eyes seemed to be fixated on not their new teacher, but something directly to her right. She looked over to her right, after seeing the panicked looks of her students, wondering what it could be that they were so taken with. As she glanced at the state of her desk, she immediately saw what this was. Apparently, in her hurry to introduce herself and get everything set up, she had accidentally placed her heavy handbag on the very edge of the desk and in the process pushed over a two heavy paper-filled portfolios. The two were slowly beginning to slip off of the surface. Before Tohru could go move both towards the center of the desk so they would not fall on the floor, the portfolios slid off of the desk and on to the floor with a loud _"plop!"_ signaling their landing.

She could hear a wave of stifled laughter emit from the back of the room once more, as she hurried to salvage the disheveled papers scattered across the floor. When she went to examine what the problem could be, Tohru discovered that a dictionary had somehow been placed underneath one corner of the desk, forming a wedge that caused it to tilt to the side and throwing all of the items that lay there slowly out of balance so that they slid on its surface.

Yet, due to the poor girl's naivety and ever-present trustfulness, the thought never once crossed her mind that perhaps a student of hers had been the one to place it there.

After recovering the dictionary from below the desk and restoring the surface to its original flat state, Tohru stood up once more and began her introduction again. "Well, now that that disturbance has been settled, where were we? Oh, yes! So, my name is Tohru Honda – although you will be calling me Honda-sensei, I suppose – and I will be your teacher this year." She wrote the kanji forming "Honda-sensei" neatly on the white board, and continued, "I am so honored to be able to get to know you all, and I hope we will all become good friends!" She smiled once more, glossing over all of the unfortunate events that came before and concentrating on the fact that she was the **teacher**, and not the student.

Moving on, Tohru decided to take role. "Now then, I suppose I should be taking role now, shouldn't I?" She walked over to her desk, and pulled out a bright blue clip-board, on which the attendance sheet lay. "Now, when I call your name, I just want you to say 'here!' nice and loud… and if you aren't here… well… then obviously you wouldn't say anything at all, right?" She giggled nervously, along with several of her young pupils, in response to the joke. "So… here goes!"

She went through the list of names steadily. It seemed as if almost every student was present at the time – all, except one. The missing student was supposedly a girl by the name of "Sohma, Hinata". She wondered what could have caused the girl to miss the very important first day of school. Perhaps, illness? Yes, that was probably it… the child must be sick. However, Tohru was forced set this thought aside, in attempt to move on to more pressing matters and make up for all of the time they had lost in the fiasco that was the beginning of class. "Great! So… attendance is done! Now, onto those name-tags…!"

Tohru pulled out a set of colored pencils from her bag, as her students, in turn, did the same with theirs. With an atmosphere of excitement and amusement restored once more, the morning flew by without incident and with mutual enjoyment and mirth along the way… students and teacher alike, knowing that first impressions were not necessarily as impacting as they seemed at first.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 3:** A great day for updates! As for this chapter… Haha! Poor Tohru! She was so mortified when she walked in to class… Could you imagine? Being the teacher, walking into class on the first day, with clothes splattered with mud and several minutes late? Poor thing… I feel so sorry for her. However, at least, in the end everything worked out okay.

In case you were thinking about how unusual it is that Tohru had arrived to school that day not having ever been there previously, what happened is… in truth, she originally was not going to be teaching at this school. There was supposed to be another teacher teaching this class, but she came down with a terrible ailment and had to give up the post. So, it turned out that Tohru was asked to accept the job about two weeks before school started, just barely enough time to find a small apartment for her to inhabit. In effect, Tohru really didn't have much of a chance to visit the school and get settled before classes began. That's why she's so clearly unprepared for the job! Well, again, reviews are appreciated, and I hope to see you again next chapter!


	4. Chapter 3: The Fourth Partner in Crime

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: Isn't this kind of redundant? Hmmm… well, anyway, all of Fruits Basket's plot and characters are property of Natsuki Takaya-sensei… NOT me._

Chapter 3: The Fourth Partner in Crime

Tohru did not realize how quickly the morning had flown by until one of her students informed her of how late it was. The mousy-haired young boy tugged on her blouse shyly to gain her attention, which had only moments before been taken by coloring her own 'nametag' in a variety of rosy pinks and reds. He said in a nervous whisper, "Um… Honda-sensei? It's five after now and… shouldn't we going to go to recess?"

Tohru turned to face him with an expression of disbelief in her eyes. She glanced upwards briefly at the clock sitting upon the classroom wall, its hands lying well past ten o' clock, the set time for recess. She let out a soft gasp, not having realized how late it was. Immediately, she jumped up from her seat, startling the small boy, exclaiming hurriedly, "Oh no! I completely forgot! Hurry everybody! Leave your nametags here… we'll finish them later. It's time for recess!"

Excited cheers were heard from every student, when they heard those wonderful words come from their teacher. Immediately, their coloring tools and nametags were left abandoned, as they scurried out of the classroom, buzzing with hyperactivity and excitement. Tohru felt so overjoyed. The delighted smiles she saw on her students' faces – this was what she taught for, what brought her back to the classroom far after she had graduated high school. After all, the happiness of others was that of her own… in it, she knew no sorrow.

Trailing closely behind the ecstatic children as they raced down the hallway, Tohru followed them to watch over their play. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at the playground. She watched as the students dispersed throughout the area, climbing onto the metallic structures to engage in various activities of play. The sights that lay before her once again astonished Tohru. Even the playground was nearly as breathtaking as the school itself, composed of an array of bright colors radiating brilliantly in the soft light of the sun.

Tohru sat down on a white bench in the cool shade of a Sakura tree beside the playground. The soft breeze flowed through her hair and onto the surface of her skin. The atmosphere seemed so relaxed, almost seeming to hypnotize her with its serenity… when could have been the last time she had been outside in such a peaceful atmosphere like this, letting her worries blow away with the gentle flow of the wind? Ever since she began high school and even until now, nearly a decade later, all life had done was to take from her. Her loved ones… even the many memories she had made in high school… all were lost as the steady flow of time progressed. Before she knew it, she figured, she, too, would be gone – left to float away within the cool breeze, alongside all those who had departed before her. Within it, would be her own playground, in which she could stay with her dearest deceased.

However, as she sat there, gazing at the students frolicking throughout the playground and feeling the peaceful atmosphere with joy, she was thankful that through all she had lost, she had still gained so much. If she never did fully remember her high school days ever again, she would not regard her heart as feeling completely empty, no matter how empty it seemed. She only wished that, somehow, she could find that last piece of the puzzle that she so eagerly sought for… to fill that empty gap in her heart that she so yearned to fill. Yet, such seemed impossible… those memories were so distant by now that they could belong to a separate lifetime. She always wondered what had kept her holding on to the prospect that those precious memories could somehow be recovered once more, although it seemed so clear that the key to unlock the closed door in the back of her mind would never be found.

…_It's because… I don't want to let go. There's always a hope that they will return again! I just know it! I just know it…_

She had barely noticed how far from reality she had drifted, until she realized that several students had gone missing from the group. All students were present in the play area, except for the three little girls that she remembered as having exchanged smirks with each other upon her entrance earlier that morning. Tohru's eyes widened in horror, as she thought about the possibilities of their being absent. What if they were lost? Wandering around a school as large as this, becoming lost wouldn't be too difficult a possibility. Of course, Tohru did not know the school nearly as well as any of the students (most who had been enrolled in Tsurumaki Academy for a few years by now), but she knew the campus well enough to determine that one could easily get lost in its confines.

_Oh no! What am I to do?_ Tohru thought nervously. _They must be in such a panic! Wandering through the halls, not knowing where to go… I have to find them!_ She stood up from the bench hurriedly, ready to go look for the missing girls, until she remembered, _B-but… what about the others? I can't leave them here alone… That would be so irresponsible of me!_

_Well, I suppose if I just leave the kids here for a few minutes, it won't make too much a difference… I'll just have to find them as quickly as I can!_ Tohru cast a look of determination on her face as she set off past the playground and into the halls of the school. She dashed through the dimly lit hallway, in search for the three missing students. It felt to her as if she was traveling through an interminable maze, in which every turn she made brought her no further than the last. She looked all around her Could they havebeen near the classroom? Or, perhaps, they were near the entrance of the school? Could they have gotten that far? Tohru's heart raced in panic. It looked as if she was going nowhere… and would soon become lost, herself.

Suddenly, she heard a chorus of subdued voices from a short distance down one of the many hallways. Her heart leapt as she heard what she recognized as voices belonging to three young girls – perhaps the same three which she wanted to find. They seemed to be discussing something… their voices small and incomprehensible in the distance. As Tohru approached closer and closer, the topic of their discussion became more and more clear to her. They seemed to be talking about that little girl that Tohru had marked as absent only a few hours previously. In curiosity, Tohru stopped to listen, in effort to hear what they could possibly be talking about. It was wrong to eavesdrop, she knew. However, her curiosity about the girl's absence overpowered her better judgment… She had to know what happened to the poor girl to make her not arrive to class on the first day of classes.

The first voice, a rather bossy, commanding one, asked her peers in a half-voice, "What could have made Hinata absent anyway? The Partners in Crime can't be without their pivotal fourth member on the first day of school! Imagine all the mischief that we can't cause because of it! An outrage!"

A second sounded, quite a bit softer and very sweet. It cried faintly, "Sohma Hinata-chan…? I don't know… she didn't feel very well when I came over to her house last… but, she didn't mention anything about not going to school today… I'm sure she'll be fine, Yomi-chan… we'll just have to fill her in on the details once she returns—!"

"—_If_ she returns, that is," interrupted a third, more serious, voice darkly. "Kokoro, you're **way **too optimistic sometimes. I heard she came down with a bad case of pneumonia, and won't be able to go to school for another week…"

The second voice, belonging to the girl named Kokoro, cried out in horror, "_Pneumonia…?_ Oh no! Is that really true, Kimiko-chan? But… isn't that supposed to be lethal?"

Yomi cut in forcefully, "Of _course_ not! Stop making her worry so much, Kimiko… Yeesh, you two are so annoying! No wonder half of the time our pranks don't even work… You guys spend half of the time worrying about gosh knows what, and we never get anything done!"

Kimiko retorted angrily, "But we managed to get that dictionary underneath Honda-sensei's desk this morning, _remember?_"

"Yes… I guess so," Yomi admitted grudgingly. "But… I hope that Sohma girl gets all nice and cured soon… because otherwise we're one partner in crime short for prank pulling… and Honda-sensei is such a ditz! The possibilities are _endless_ for her…!" The three giggled softly. Tohru watched from behind as they moved away and rounded the corner. She was too stunned to go after them – once again lost in a trail of thought.

That name… "Sohma"… where had she heard it before? She was nearly positive that she had never known anybody by that name, yet it sounded so very familiar, almost as if she had heard the name many times before. However, from all her recollection, this was the first time she had ever heard the surname, so what was it that caused this nostalgic feeling that gripped her heart at that instant?

_It must be a common name,_ she convinced herself, shaking her head to wear the thought away. _I've probably read a book by a Sohma… or maybe heard it in passing… It's nothing. Forget about it, Tohru… Just… forget…_ However, she could not forget. She felt an inscrutable pain in her heart. That empty feeling took hold of her stronger than ever. Deep within the confines of her mind, she wondered what the sorrow she felt when hearing the name could really be, and – even farther within – what wonderful and horrible secrets could be concealed in her lost recollections. There was a key to that door… there had to be…

…And, somehow, as she walked back to gather all of the students so that they could return for the second half of their morning class, she felt that the so-called "Fourth Partner in Crime" had unknowingly brought her one step closer to finding it.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 4:** Yay for updates! In case you happened to notice, this chapter is a bit shorter than usual… Why, you ask? Well, in my original outline, I was intending to have this be a part of chapter 2. However, when I added a scene to that chapter, I found that it would be way too long if I put this in there as well, so, I had to cut all of this out of that chapter and somehow figure out how to make this scene long enough to be a chapter on its own… I find I do that a lot when I'm writing… that's why my outlines very rarely ever turn out resembling the chapters they were meant to outline.

Tohru teaches **third** year elementary students, just in case you were wondering. When writing some of my early drafts, I had originally intended her to teach second years. However, when I looked through the only possible Sohmas I could have put in her class, the only possibility (as there was no way that any of the jyuunishi's kids _if_ they were allowed to have any to begin with would be old enough for primary school yet) would be Hinata, Hiro's little sister, who would be eight by the time this fanfiction takes place. In effect, I had to go through all of my earlier writings, and change any mention of the grade level she would be teaching. Unfortunately, I overlooked a mention of her teaching second year in chapter 1, and didn't realize until yesterday that I had done so. Silly me! I'm going back and changing it now, though, so, it shouldn't be too much of a big deal… but still…

The nextfew chapters are where the plot **really** starts. (or… at least… they should be… unless I decide that I need to add an extra scene somewhere in the process and postpone those two chapters' events until a later time…. Which, unfortunately, happens very often…) So… I'll be sure to update as soon as I can. And, thanks for the positive feedback! –hugs the ultra-nice readers- 'Til next chapter!


	5. Chapter 4: Wandering

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: You know… the usual… All of Fruits Basket's characters and its original plot are owned by Natsuki Takaya-sensei…_

**Chapter 4: Wandering**

Over the duration of the next few days, nothing was heard about Hinata Sohma. Aside from the limited amount of information that Tohru had gained about the girl from overhearing her friends' conversation, her whereabouts were virtually unknown to Tohru, and as the days wore on, an anxious Tohru began to wonder what could have occurred to promote such a prolonged absence. A look of concern crossed her expression, as day after day, the attendance sheet marked everybody present except for Hinata… _Always_ Hinata… This was getting serious. Tohru figured that soon, she would have to call the girl's parents, to find out about this illness. All she could hope was that everything would get better soon, in fear of how horrible the child's condition could really be.

However, as she heard the cheerful banter of the students filing out of the classroom on Saturday afternoon fade away into the distance, excitement in their voices as they discussed their weekend endeavors, Tohru finally came to the conclusion that she must find out for herself what had become of the missing student. With a concerned expression on her face, she drew open the cabinet in her desk and groped through it to seek out the school directory that she had received only three days previously. Once she finally found it, she pulled in from the cabinet, shutting it as she began to flip through the pages of the directory.

Her delicate hands thumbed through its many pages, while her eyes scanned quickly through the many names listed to find that which she desired. _Saito Kaede… Sakaki Inoue… Shizuhara Kosuke… Shiragame Junko… Suzuki Komare… Setsuki Ryo… Wow… they don't seem to end!_ There were so many… how on earth was she to find "Sohma Hinata" in this mess? She kept flipping through page after page, searching diligently for the name, until finally she spotted it lying in the center of the page. Right above the name and contact information of a high school student named "Sohma Momo" (_Could there be a relation?_ Tohru wondered with mild curiosity, as she briefly overlooked the name), the kanji for "Sohma Hinata" was written in fine print with a phone number and address provided below.

Tohru reached over the neatly stacked folders on her desk for the phone. As she picked it up from the receiver, she hesitantly punched in the number "665-4903". A soft ring came from the other line, as Tohru waited patiently, hoping that, for whatever reason, it would not be such a bother for her to call.

Suddenly, a boy's voice came from the other end, with a huge attitude written thoroughly through its tone, "Hello? Who is speaking?"

Tohru answered nervously, "Umm… That is… May I speak to the parents of Sohma Hinata?" She could almost hear a quiet sneer coming from the other line, as the boy uttered a low, snide remark, _"Oh gosh… Another **genius** trying to waste my time…_"

The boy replied impatiently, obviously annoyed, "Yeah, whatever… But would you _mind_ telling me who's speaking?"

"Aaah… Yes… this is… Hinata's teacher, Honda Tohru." There was an uncomfortable silence from the other end.

Finally, the boy answered, "…Um… _okay_ then… I'll go get Mom…" Some movement followed on the opposite end, as the boy went to search for his mother to give her the phone. After a few minutes, another voice sounded into the receiver, this time, belonging to a woman.

"Hello," it said with gentle caring. "This is Sohma Satsuki… You were wishing to speak to me?"

"Yes! It's about your daughter, Hinata…" Tohru replied, her voice shaking slightly. She had not had to schedule a parent-teacher conference since her preschool teaching days. "She's been out for the whole week, and I was wondering if I could come over to discuss things with you and deliver missing work for her? If it's not too much of a bother, that is… I wouldn't want to--"

"Oh! I'm so glad you called! So, you're Hinata-chan's teacher, I assume? She came down with a horrible case of pneumonia sometime last week, and has been in bed ever since… It would be wonderful if we could talk sometime soon about it."

Tohru recalled the conversation she had overheard the previous Monday. _So the girls were correct… she really is…_ "Sick with pneumonia? That's absolutely terrible! I really hope she gets better soon… Is there any possible time that you would like me to deliver the work?"

"Well… you could deliver them today… or, well… maybe tomorrow would be best? Does tomorrow at noon sound fine? We could talk over lunch, and I can inform the main house of your arrival in order to avoid… complications."

_Eh…? Complications?_ "Okay! I'll be seeing you then… And, before I go, may I have some instructions to reach your home?"

"Ah yes… Here, I'll explain…" As Tohru frantically hurried to get every last direction down on paper, she couldn't help but notice how dauntingly complicated they seemed. Of course, this was understandable, being that they were located in an area of the city that Tohru was absolutely foreign to. She would be lucky to even find her way to what Satsuki referred to as the "Main House", let alone actually finding the home of Sohma Satsuki in the midst of it all. However, with the massive detail that Satsuki had put into the directions, it would be much less likely for Tohru to get lost – or so she hoped, anyway.

As soon as Satsuki finished her explanation of how to get to her house, they bode each other farewell, and Tohru hung up, placing her phone back onto the receiver. She looked through the pile of papers on her desk, compiling all of Hinata's missing work into a manila folder. _Wish me luck, mom… Wish me luck!_

---

Tohru gazed at the majestic entrance of the Main Sohma House, greeting her from far ahead along the tree-lined path. As she came closer, its grandeur intimidated the onigiri, who had scarcely come across so beautiful an entrance. The border of the old-fashioned Japanese gateway had, carved onto its surface, a skillfully crafted collection of finely detailed depictions of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Each animal shined brilliantly in the sunlight, with a slight golden pigment. As she looked ahead at the entrance that stood before her, Tohru couldn't help but feel as if long ago, in a very distant past, she had seen this very same property. It seemed so familiar, yet she could not identify where this nostalgic feeling came from.

As she approached, she passed beyond the entrance to enter the estate. As she peered into her surroundings, Tohru felt that something was not right here. Not a soul was in sight, and the only disturbance in the serenity was the occasional rustle of trees as the gentle wind danced among their leaves. However, this so-called "peace" was not a happy one. Instead, there seemed to be a heavy pall shrouding the atmosphere, a dark, sinister stillness that alarmed her as she walked towards the compound. _No,_ a voice told her from within the far depths of her mind. _There is nothing peaceful here._

Walking through the area, she felt as if she had suddenly taken a step into the past. All around her, the architecture of the buildings was very traditional and reminiscent of another era long past. As she traveled onward, she began to notice the familiarity of the surrounding buildings. In her distraction and fascination by the strange area, she began to wonder whether she had been wandering around this maze of a compound and lost herself. Quickly, she searched through her pockets for the directions that she had been given the previous day. However, as she soon discovered in her desperate search for directions, they must have fallen out of her pockets in her wandering.

Tohru began to worry. Suddenly, her surroundings seemed even more unwelcome and ominous to her. Not a soul to speak of was around to help find her destination – she was truly alone, left to find her way on her own. A feeling of foreboding and desperation gripped her heart. The sun may have been shining from above, but in the dark shade of the trees, it was just barely peeking through the branches. Where was she? What was she to do now? Confusion blinded her, as she stared out into the distance… _What can I do? I'm so scared… Is there anybody that can help me?_

From deep within the recesses of her mind, she heard many voices calling her name, none of which she knew. They flooded her mind; a sea of unidentified voices… all calling out for her… She begged of them, _What is this? Who are you all? Tell me… please… Tell me!_

_Can you help me find my way in my wandering?_

_---_

A small, distant whisper came from far away, breaking the silence of her sleep, "Tohru… Tohru…? Is that really… you?"

Tohru slowly opened her eyes. A sea of blurred colors broke through the darkness that had engulfed her vision before, as the surrounding milieu slowly took shape before her once more. She felt the dusted ground below her, discovering that she had been sprawled out onto the dirt pathway. As she finally regained full consciousness of her surroundings, she realized that a young man, who appeared to be not much younger than herself, was kneeling before her, his golden locks elegantly falling above his shining chocolate colored eyes, which gazed at her with great concern. She had seldom before seen such a beautiful person. Somehow, she felt as if his was a face she knew, but that made no sense, as Tohru was sure that she had never before seen such a person. Yet if this was true, she wondered how the stranger could know her name.

An uncomfortable silence befell the two. "How…?" Tohru responded faintly, slowly sitting herself up and looking at him with eyes filled with intrigue. "How… do you know my name?"

The stranger widened his eyes. After a minute's hesitation, he replied, his expression morphing into a whimsical smile, "Your name? Of course… I don't know your name! Why would I know your name? I've never met you before!" He let out a lighthearted laugh. "My name is Sohma Momiji. I saw that you had fainted… and I ran over as soon as I could…."

Tohru thought to herself, gazing the young man who introduced himself as "Momiji", _Of course… I must have been hearing things… There's no way that I have met him before or he could know my name._ She answered, still slightly bewildered, "Aaah… Of course, I was being silly… My name is Honda Tohru. I am quite honored to make your acquaintance, Momiji-san, and am sorry for having worried you in any way."

Momiji replied, as he stood up from his kneeling position, "Don't be sorry! I'm perfectly fine with that! I just wanted to know… whether you needed any help."

Tohru regained her balance and brushed the dirt off her skirt. She looked at the sympathetic eyes of the young man that stood before her. Despite his outward happiness, they conveyed a slight, impalpable sorrow. She answered, "There is… one thing… Do you know where I could find the house of Sohma Satsuki and Sohma Hinata?"

"Sure… of course, I know! Would you like me to take you there, Tohru?" he offered kindly, holding out his hand to her.

Tohru bowed her head lowly in respect, and responded accordingly, "Yes… if that isn't too much trouble, that is to say… I hope I am not bothering you in any way by having imposed on you like this, Momiji-san. After all, you are a total, complete stranger, and you don't have to be so nice to me…"

Momiji answered simply, winking sweetly towards her way, "…Not so much of a stranger as you think, Tohru." Tohru was puzzled by this comment. _What could he mean? I don't know him… I've never known him… He is a stranger, isn't he?_ However, before she could even open her mouth to respond, he veered the subject away from that, with another lighthearted grin as he looked her way, "So, anyway… here! I'll show you where Satsuki-san lives!" He gripped her hand, and led Tohru through the compound with the levity of a young child leading his friend to a park or an exciting secret play place, rather than a young man leading a total stranger to her desired destination.

After several minutes of walking through the Sohma estate, Momiji relinquished his grip and stopped right in front of a beautiful Japanese-style home. He told Tohru, "Here you are, Tohru!"

Tohru, who had been entranced by the elegance of all of her surroundings, turned to him, smiling. "Thank you so very much for your kindness! I am greatly in your debt…" she said, slowly walking towards the building, stepping onto the platform and approaching the sliding, paneled doors to enter.

"No… not at all, really, it was a pleasure to help you… Goodbye, Tohru!" He waved back at Tohru, who in turn returned with a wave and a smile, as she disappeared through the door, soundlessly, but cheerfully.

Momiji looked at the young woman, who had once given him and the other Sohmas so much happiness whenever they saw her. She was still there… Still Tohru. Neither the slow passage of time, nor the erasing of her memories could change that.

_It's still there, Tohru… Somewhere, deep inside, I know you can remember me… all of us. Your memory may have been erased, but no matter how hard anybody could have tried…_

…_There's no way the love and caring you felt for us from within your heart could have been erased as well. _

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 4:** Wow… last chapter was really short… but this chapter…. It's so LONG… and I even had to cut it, too! (because if I didn't… it would be about 4000-5000 words long) Sorry for the long wait… Lots of homework… and there is that hurricane… But anyway, after next chapter, the story completely shifts focus. Up to next chapter, it's all been in Tohru's point of view (except for that one part right at the end of this chapter), but as the plot thickens, you'll be hearing from other characters as well… Including a certain neko who I've been eagerly wishing to write since the moment I started the planning of this fanfic. Just a hint, you know….

Oh… and Neko's really happy… because…

She finally got to put her _favorite_ rabbit (or… should I say ex-rabbit? -wink-) into one of her fanfictions! I'm so happy! You'll be hearing from him again in a few chapters but anyway as for next chapter, you'll get to encounter Hinata, Satsuki, Hiro, and _possibly_ Kisa (for very briefly)… So, as always, feedback appreciated… (Thanks so much for your comments! hugs) And… Ja ne!


	6. Chapter 5: A Warm Welcome

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of Fruits Basket's plot or characters… only the insane plot that you are reading right now._

Chapter 5: A Warm Welcome

Tohru knocked hurriedly against the sliding door, its light-colored panels vibrating gently under the soft _thrum_ that emitted as her hand knocked against it. Tohru began to hear the soft sound of footsteps approaching from beyond the entrance of the house, gradually increasing in volume, as she pressed her ear against the door to listen. Once the sound of footsteps came to a complete halt, the sliding door slid ajar with almost the greatest of ease and swiftness, startling Tohru, who had been leaning against it only moments before to hear their owner's approach, and causing her to fall backward onto the floor.

As it did this, out was revealed a medium-brown-haired woman with a rather petite frame (although not as much so as Tohru's), appearing to be in her early forties, flashing a welcoming grin in Tohru's direction. Beneath that smile, however, Tohru could see how fatigued and worn the woman seemed, the beginnings of small dark circles shadowing her eyes and cheeks hollowed slightly. Over her ankle length dress, which had been colored with a checker pattern of light shades of pink and purple, she wore a simple, pure white apron, giving her the impression of having been cooking only moments before.

She welcomingly waved towards Tohru, as she greeted kindly, "Hello there! You must be Honda-san, correct?"

Tohru answered, her heart still racing from the fall, as she brought herself back to full height once more, "Yes! That's right. And I assume you must be Sohma-san… It is a pleasure to be meeting you! And I apologize greatly for being so late…"

"…Oh no, dear, not at all! And there's no need to call me Sohma-san. There are too many of us Sohmas that you would do best to just address me by my first name. That aside, I am just happy that you could find your way at all… the Sohma compound is very much a maze for those outside of the family… and even some inside, as well. But anyway, what are we achieving by standing here, by the front door, chatting away? Here, I'll lead you to the kitchen…" Satsuki gestured her towards the inside, as Tohru slid through the paneled door, onto the traditional tatami mats that surfaced the floor below her.

Tohru responded, as they made their way down the hallway, "Ah… okay then, Satsuki-san… Well, you know… I received some help, so… it made the trip much easier. Anyway, thank you again for allowing me to speak with you about Hinata-san. I was so worried…"

Satsuki led Tohru around the corner and through the kitchen door. She offered a chair to the young woman, urging her, "Here, you should sit and rest… The walk must have been a difficult one, and you do seem quite tired. I'll pour some iced tea for you, and we'll sit and discuss while lunch is being made."

"Oh… Thank you! How wonderful of you to do such a thing…" Tohru replied uneasily, guilt crossing her expression, as she had not brought any of her own cooking to share in exchange for the hospitality provided by this generous hostess.

"You are very welcome!" Satsuki poured some iced tea into two tall glasses, upon the kitchen counter. Holding the two glasses gingerly in her outstretched hands, she returned to her seat, passing one of the glasses to Tohru as she began to sip her own. She continued, "Now, while we wait for lunch to finish, we can discuss about Hinata-chan…"

"Oh yes!" Tohru said, scrambling to get back on topic as she pulled out a set of manila folders from her bag. "How has Hinata-san been doing…? Has her condition improved any further? When I found out of her illness, I felt so concerned… I just really hope she's doing well…"

Satsuki laughed lightheartedly. "She's certainly been doing much better. Thankfully, we began to treat her pneumonia right away, so the case did not worsen beyond our control… She's even begun causing mischief again… so we know she's doing a lot better. Plus, Hiro-chan's still on break from his studies at the University, so he's been a huge help taking care of her as well, while their father is away on a business trip."

Tohru recalled the voice of the boy she had talked to over the phone only the previous day. "Hiro… san? Is that the name of your son?"

Satsuki nodded in agreement. "Yes… That's my son. He's simply the sweetest older brother a girl could have… and you seem to be a very caring, wonderful teacher, yourself, although you haven't even met her yet! Hinata-chan is very lucky to have so many kind people concerned about her."

Tohru smiled, blushing slightly from the compliment. "Umm… surely not…. I'm not… that good of a teacher…. I…." She trailed off, at a loss of words. Finally, she chimed in again, "…she truly is!" Passing one of the thin, manila folders Satsuki's way, she continued, "Here are the assignments that Hinata-san is missing so far, just a few worksheets on basic multiplication and some short reading assignments… There aren't many, but tell her to take her time on them, and wait until she feels completely ready to work on them. I don't want her to have to push herself to get the work done!"

"Thank you!" Satsuki replied, taking the folder from Tohru's hand. "I'll give these to her right away… I'll make sure that she works on the make up work as soon as she is able to. In fact, since she's been improving pretty quickly, we've been thinking that she might be able to return to school sometime soon… Maybe even next--" Suddenly, a large _crash_ resounded from within the hallway, followed by a stream of high pitched giggling and the sound of running footsteps coming closer and closer towards the kitchen.

With a scheming expression visible through her eyes, a small girl with inquisitive dark brown eyes and light brown hair put up into two bouncy pigtails raced into the room. Within her small hands, there lay a large textbook, which seemed to be almost half of her size, as she clutched it tightly towards her, refusing to let go.

Following her, a tall boy that seemed to be in his late teens or whereabouts, with eye and hair color much resembling that of the little girl, rattled off a hurl of insults, as he yelled angrily at her, "YOU LITTLE **BRAT**! COME BACK HERE WITH KISA'S TEXTBOOK! YOU'LL DAMAGE IT IF YOU FLING IT INTO WALLS LIKE THAT!"

The little girl, whom Tohru guessed as being Hinata, responded with an adorable giggle, as she utilized her innocent cuteness against her older brother to his unfortunate disadvantage. She replied sweetly, yet weakly (clearly, she was still pretty ill), "Hinata-chan thinks that Onii-san should be a _lot _nicer to her, being that her head is starting to hurt from all of his yelling… She also says that she'll give Kisa-neechan's book back if he lets her play his video games!"

Her older brother, Hiro, cast a murderous look her way, which began to soften into a look of concern. He replied in an annoyed, yet more calmed tone of voice, "Oh, _fine_ then… I'll let you play some of the games. Just try to be more careful with other people's stuff next time, okay?"

Hinata's answered disappointedly, "Yeah…. She will…" Immediately, her eyes widened with excitement, as she considered the video games she would be getting to play. "Yay! Yay! VIDEO GAMES!" The child immediately began to imitate a person shooting things with her hands, giggling sweetly as she did so. "Boooom! Baaaang! Paaaaa…. Hinata-chan's _so_ happy! Can she go now…? Can she go now!"

Hiro responded impatiently, "No, wait a second…" His eyes darted briefly towards where Tohru was seated, and he turned to face his mom. "Mother… who's _that_ supposed to be?"

However, it was not his mother, but Tohru that answered, with a rushed and nervous tone of voice, "Ummm… P-p-pleased to meet you… M-my name is… Honda Tohru…" _Have I done anything to offend him or any of them? I don't think I have… but he seems pretty irritated…_

Satsuki chimed in, with a bright smile on her face, "…Honda-san is Hinata-chan's teacher this year! She is so excited to be teaching her… So, what do you think, Hinata-chan? Do you like your new teacher, this year?"

Clearly, however, the child's mind was far off somewhere else. Instead of replying to her mother's question, she turned to her brother and whined pitifully, "Video games! Hinata-chan wants to play _video games._ Can't they babble later?"

Hiro admonished her coldly, "Oh my gosh, Hinata-chan… how many times to I have to tell you not to be so _rude_ like that? No… we're going to play video games right now, but after that…" Whatever he said after that, Tohru would certainly not know. For he exited the room, still bickering with his little sister

Satsuki laughed contently, once again returning to the kitchen counter, where she began to busily chop up vegetables for the western-style salad she was preparing to make. She said with much levity, "Those two! Of course, Hiro-chan's probably so impatient because Sacchan's over studying today, and doesn't want to be disturbed. It would be pretty unusual for him to let Hinata-chan play his video games, otherwise… but I suppose he wants to get her to stop annoying him, so…" Her voice trailed off in her deep thought, but suddenly regained strength once more, "But, lunch will be ready very soon, anyway… So I do hope that they won't take too long with those games, because if not, then lunch will already be ready…" Satsuki bit her lip in concern, as she examined the cookbook for the next ingredient she would need. Her hands fumbled slightly over the carrots she was holding, and they dropped to the floor. She whimpered quietly, "Oh… no… that's not good… Now I'll have to rewash these again..." She sighed, as she took the carrots from the floor and approached the sink, running them under the faucet as a stream of cool flowed upon them.

As she watched Satsuki stumble her way through lunch preparations, Tohru asked rising from her seat at the table, "Um… Satsuki-san? Would it be okay if I helped you with something? Is there anything that I could do to assist you?"

Satsuki replied, looking quizzically at the girl, although taken aback that a guest would be so kind, "Ah…. Yes! If you would please put that lettuce over there inside this bowl, that would help a lot… And there are those vegetables as well. If we both cut vegetables, then lunch will be finished in twice the time! Thank you so much for offering to help." She beamed at Tohru, gesturing towards the fresh vegetables piled upon the counter.

"Oh! That's not a problem! I'm very happy to help! After all, cooking is something that I happen to enjoy very much. Now let's see…. Where is that lettuce…" Tohru began to chop up vegetables as well, laying them out neatly over the counter and making even cuts in each. Content to find that she had been of some use, she worked patiently and diligently, as she chatted idly with Satsuki. Before they knew it, they had finished the salad and the sandwiches that they had been making, and were ready to eat. As Satsuki exited out of the kitchen to call the others for lunch, Tohru set the table with great care, being sure to put every utensil and other piece of tableware in its proper place.

A few minutes later, the door went ajar once more. Through it came a smiling Hinata accompanied by Hiro and a disgruntled Hinata (perhaps unwillingly pulled away from her beloved video games only moments before). In addition, another young girl that Tohru knew not followed, with peculiar orange-gold hair framing her pale face and beautiful golden eyes twinkling with gleaming radiance. She could not have been much older than Hiro, Tohru figured as she watched the stranger enter the room, wondering who she could be.

Tohru asked the girl cheerfully, as they all seated themselves down at the table, "Ah! And what's your name?"

The orange haired girl replied shyly, apparently very preoccupied by playing with the clothing folds of her pleated skirt, "Um… that is… My name is… Sohma Kisa. I'm very happy to meet you." Kisa smiled, looking forward at the young woman that sat before her. She had no idea why, but somehow, she seemed very familiar… almost like someone she knew long ago… _But, no… it couldn't be… could it?_

Tohru replied sweetly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kisa-san!" She smiled politely, as she took the salad bowl and served herself a small portion of its contents.

Hiro poured himself some lemonade, staring suspiciously at her. There was something about her that really seemed to bug him – a certain airiness in her demeanor that just made him want to scream out in utter annoyance. She almost seemed to remind him of somebody… That stupid smile (always so irritatingly cheerful no matter what), that spacey-ness, that inability to speak up for her own benefit… She even had the appearance of somebody he had loathed so many years ago. But… _No, that's not right… That annoying stupid woman disappeared ages ago… it's probably just a coincidence… _Sure, it could be a coincidence, but a very odd one at that. Even her name sounded similar. Although he could be mistaken, he lingered over the topic for a moments' while.

After sipping the juice briefly, Hiro suddenly put his glass down on the table. Sharply glaring at Tohru, he finally inquired, "Wait a moment…. What did you say your name was again?"

Tohru stared blankly at him. _But… I already told him my name… maybe he forgets easily? _Taken aback, she replied, "My name? Ah… Honda Tohru… but why do you ask?" However, no answer escaped from the others. A blanket of solitude swept the room, and a reaction to this reply came not from Hiro, but the young girl that sat beside him. She let out a soft gasp, her glimmering golden eyes gaping in utter shock, as she attempted to examine Tohru more clearly, as if trying to be sure that some assumption of hers was correct. In fact, the girl's voice quavering in disbelief, Tohru could have sworn that, for a moment, she heard Kisa wistfully cry out, in the smallest of whispers, "O-onee… chan…?" Hiro seemed to wear a quizzical look on his face, as he, too, gaped at Tohru.

Tohru's mind raced, as the room's atmosphere loomed over her with a new, silent, unwelcome heaviness. There was something very wrong with all of this… Though she knew it not, she felt the warnings, the signs… Even now, she felt something was on the verge of breaking in the depths of her heart – a feeling that she could not put into words.

This solemnity was only broken by a small cough emitted from Hinata, who promptly complained that she wasn't feeling so well. She promptly exited the room, leaving the majority of her lunch behind. Soon after, Hiro and Kisa stood up and left the kitchen as well, still speechless with the only exception being a brief murmur of thanks from Hiro. Once the door was shut and all but Tohru and Satsuki had left, Satsuki noted Tohru's vacant, distracted expression, saying with concern in her voice, "Honda-san…? Is something wrong? You seem to be acting quite oddly…"

At Satsuki's words, Tohru snapped back into reality once more. Shaking her head hastily, she replied, "Oh… it's nothing… I just thought I had met somebody… sometime previously… Oh, nevermind. It's nothing, I must have been mistaken."

Satsuki stared back at Tohru, still slightly bewildered. She answered, twisting her mouth back into a cheerful grin, "Oh… okay then! You know… Sacchan did seem so happy to see you for some reason. It's funny… in the past, she always had trouble bringing herself to talk to others, and yet… she speaks so openly to a complete stranger like yourself."

Tohru's eyes widened. "Oh really? I was wondering… I assume she is Hiro's friend, then, right?"

Satsuki smiled, her gaze shifting to the floor below her as she spoke, "Yes. They have been best friends for the longest time… Sacchan and Hiro-chan… it was almost inevitable… that their friendship would evolve into something more than that… but…" Her voice trailed off, as if recounting something very painful in her memory. She looked up once more. "In any case, it is very difficult for some of us Sohmas to make friends outside the family… and sometimes even within its limits, as well… but… don't worry, it's nothing… Really, it's getting late now, and you should probably be leaving about now, anyway." She still had this saddened look about her, as she stood up and began to lead Tohru to the door.

"But—!"

"Really, you should get going… if not, you might find it difficult to navigate through the main house when it gets dark. Here are your papers and your bag…" She handed a black briefcase and a paper-filled manila folder back to Tohru, as they approached the front door.

Tohru forced a smile in her reply. "Well… um… thank you for your generosity, and allowing me to impose on your hospitality like this. I simply cannot wait to see Hinata-san back in school once more!"

Satsuki responded, "How very sweet!" Opening the front door slowly, she briefly told Tohru, "Well, always remember, if you ever happen to need anything… do not hesitate to ask. I would be pleased to help you in any way I can, after you so kindly helped Hinata." Tohru saw her wave contently, fading into the distance as Tohru proceeded farther and farther away from the house. _I'm so grateful… so very grateful… for those wonderful, warm people who care so much._

As she walked farther down the pathway, however, the atmosphere still weighed down on her heart. The Sohmas… somehow, there was a sort of mystery behind that name. And what Satsuki had said… about some Sohmas' difficulty in making friends… it was all sad really. But somehow, all of this felt familiar… She had known all of this before… but when? Where?

At the very edge of the estate, right as Tohru was about to escape from the dreadful area for good, she came by an ancient, moss-ridden building, strikingly contrasting with the glorious splendor of its neighboring fellows. It had been left to ruin by the ages, obviously not having been taken care of for many years. In her curiosity, Tohru approached the building, wondering whether or not it was actually inhabited by somebody.

When she reached just beyond the small window of the building, however, she came to an immediate halt, for that very moment, a horrible, empty sorrow had overcome her. Almost in a heartbeat, the fleeting image of a nameless boy with bright orange hair flashed before her eyes, looking down at the floor with a pleading helplessness in his red eyes.

_Who—who are you? Why are you here?_ Tohru questioned the boy in her thoughts. Although she received no answer, a single word crossed her mind – a dreadful word that would shatter her once peaceful existence forevermore.

"_Imprisoned."_

Tohru gazed ahead of her, as reality came into view once more. The building cast its tall shadow over her, looming ominously from above. She had to get out of here right away. However, as she began to dash away from the building, she felt an uncomfortable tug in her long brown hair. She realized with horror that one of the magenta-colored ribbons holding up her hair had become caught on the branch of a tall shrub sitting beside the barred window of the building. Unwilling to turn back and retrieve it, Tohru continued onwards, until the small building was well into the distance and the pink ribbon was but a speck of color in a sea of shadows.

However, as she looked out into the road beyond her now, Tohru knew that this was by no means the end… but the beginning. For, as she looked back on all the strange experiences that she had faced that day, she knew it would be a long time until she finally returned back to the place her heart truly could call "home".

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 6:**I'm sorry it took so long for me to update! This chapter was a lot harder to write than the previous ones, not to mention, it (obviously) was LONG, and I've had very little time to write lately. Anyway, in any other case, the way I portray Hinata reminds me a bit of Kimi, in personality, now that I think about it… (Only, she's way younger, so she doesn't have the flirtatious nature that Kimi possesses.) If you didn't notice, she's obsessed with Hiro's extremely violent video games, which Hiro very rarely lets her play (with good reason). Poor Hiro, LOL… Anyway, I'm sorry, but I had to be evil and end with a cliffhanger so… Mwehehehehe… Fear my cliff-hanger-ish power! I also apologize if some of this chapter seemed a bit rushed. I had to cover a lot of things in it to keep the flow of the story going, yet without making things drag on too much (because Neko hates doing that).

Starting next chapter, I'm going to be answering some questions that have come up in reviews in the rambling corner, because I feel like it, so… heck why not? Hopefully, it'll help you guys understand things a bit better. –smile-

Next chapter's preview: Within a shadowy corner of the neko room, only a single beam of light penetrates the darkness. A pink ribbon comes into view beyond the window, bringing with it memories of a past that has long but been forgotten…

(Note: Next chapter, I might be changing the rating to **Teen**, because next chapter and onwards, the storyline is going to become darker and more intense, and some mild language (which I'd rather tend to avoid… but when you are using Kyou in your fic, it's pretty difficult….). Because of this, I really have to be careful with the rating, so I might end upchoosing a higher rating to play it safe… I hope nobody minds!)


	7. Chapter 6: The Pink Ribbon

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: -still doesn't own Fruits Basket- However, I do happen to have about 11 volumes worth of manga and 4 volumes of anime containing it._

Chapter 6: The Pink Ribbon

Kyou looked ahead at the barred window installed in the neko room, his eyes weary from lack of sunlight over the ages. A single beam of bright light tore through the opening, penetrating through the shadows. Through this window lay the only trace of refuge from this eternal abyss of darkness that he had took residence in for the past seven years – a portal between his and the outside worlds.

The neko room itself, was an ancient, desolate place. Its walls were mostly bare, with the exception of dried bloodstains smattered here and there, a mark of much struggle from each the cats of the zodiac that preceded Kyou. Aside from the small barred window in the back wall, no light escaped through its walls. It was furnished by a cold stone bed, which would have been impossible to sleep in if it weren't for the few worn rags that served as the blanket and pillow. The room had a terrible stench of decay, which had probably developed over the many centuries it had gone under kept. It could have made even the darkest, most inhospitable of prison cells look like a lavish palace.

Gazing out through the rusting bars, Kyou peered out through the small gaps in between bars at a single pink silk ribbon and the vague blur of a girl running far into the distance, her long brown hair flailing about in her dash. The ribbon shined magnificently in the lowering sun with a myriad of pigments, as it hung caught among the branches of a nearby shrub, maybe just barely within his reach from the window of the neko room. As he approached the window, he slid his worn hand in between two bars, reaching out for the pink ribbon by the smallest chance that he could retrieve it. However, despite his greatest efforts, the ribbon was too distant for him to touch, just barely beyond his reach.

He sighed deeply. Of course, what could he have been thinking? Tohru had always worn ribbons like this. They were so simple, yet in their simplicity, added grace and beauty to the girl whenever she would wear them in her long brown locks. But then again… she, too, was long out of reach, having slipped away from his grasp long ago. It seemed to him that almost an eternity had passed since he had seen her, although it had probably only been a couple of years. Even still, the days that he could see the girl cheerfully smiling back at him seemed to belong to another's life now, certainly not his own.

Gazing at the pink ribbon, he was suspended into the past in his reminiscence, longing for the days he could be by Tohru's side. Still, he did not forget that his place was within the walls of this room, where nothing but that single glimpse of the outside world could play solace to his helpless, tormented soul.

_When I met you all those years ago… What made you so cheerful? Always, smiling back at me, as if nothing could make you unhappy… until…_

In a flash, he recalled a scene of many years ago, out in the rain. Tohru's horrified expression spoke volumes, though no words came from her mouth. In contrast, it was Kyou who spoke, bitterly recounting his past and what he thought to be his involvement in the demise of the girl's dear mother. For he had the chance to save the one person most precious to Tohru, but abandoned what was right for the protection of his curse.No, it was better that he would have to be locked up like this. Neither Tohru, nor anybody else, would ever have to endure such pain and sorrow again…

…_Putting myself before your mother… my own will before her life… no more could that be the case. I said what I had to say… I didn't want to see you cry, but at least now I can be punished for what I did to your mother… and you will never again have to feel the pain you felt that day…_

He shifted his attention to revisit another recollection. About a week after he began his imprisonment, Kyou had received a visit from Akito, the God of the Zodiac. This first visit was to mirror that of many more to come. However, when the god slid through the sliding door that spring morning, he bore news of terrible events… terrible things the cat could not even begin to comprehend.

"That hideous girl – that monster – just had her memories erased yesterday…" God said to him that fateful morning. Kyou felt nothing but shock at this. That didn't seem like something Tohru would normally do, even under the current circumstances. Of course, whatever 'god' said went, in the mind of a jyuunishi. No doubt, though, he probably intervened in Tohru's decision…

"…are you happy? See, even the girl that you loved is disgusted by the mere memory of you. It's all your fault, you know, that she has to forget everything… Even to her, all you do is cause harm… But, after all… that's only one of the many reasons why you deserve to be here now… locked away like this…" Akito's mouth twisted into an evil grin, as he saw the torment strewn all over Kyou's face.

Kyou attempted to cut in, "Why you—!" He shot a sharp glare of hatred and defiance with his piercing, red eyes.

However, Akito continued onwards without interruption. "But, do not fret, my poor monster… Everything is going to be okay from now on. Within these walls, you can do no harm to anybody anymore. After all, it's not like there is anybody around here to cause harm to. And eventually, you will perish and be reconciled with your dead mother once more. Although… then again… what mother would ever want to see again the same monstrous creature that killed her?" He let out a hollow laugh, as he exited the room, leaving Kyou to his own devices, as he began to consider his true feelings on Tohru's memories being erased.

Since that day, even now when so many years had passed, Kyou had never again gone against any of Akito's decisions to further torment him in his imprisonment. He had given up. Akito had won… Kyou did deserve to be locked away like this and to be sheltered from all others. After all, it was his entire fault that Tohru's memory was erased, that his mother was dead… even that Tohru's mother was dead. All he had done was taken from others. He had done nothing to give anything in return.

_Even you, Tohru… I couldn't protect. If anything, I should be here, so I do nothing else to harm you or anybody else… It's all over now, isn't it?_

He gazed back at the pink ribbon, which still danced elegantly before him in the cool breeze, as it hung from the twigs of the shrub. He withdrew his hand away from the ribbon, and back through the bars of the window. Once again, Kyou returned to the darkest corner of the room, left to mull over his disgusting existence. After all, what else was there to do here, in the darkest of corners in which only a being as low as the cat could reside?

Suddenly, Kyou heard the unmistakable noise of distant footsteps start to approach from far down the hallway. _Pitter-patter_, they went, rapidly increasing in volume as they neared. Kyou figured that it might have been Akito, doing one of his "weekly visits" to remind the cat of how pitiful and miserable his life was. However, when the neko room door slid open, it was not a scowling Akito who came through, but Momiji, who wore a sweet smile on his face as he greeted the cat with a wave.

Kyou said, extremely disinterested in whatever the babbling blonde had to say, "Oh… it's _you._" He stared back at the wall again, beginning to ponder once more in his misery.

Momiji replied, slightly indignant, "Well… _that's_ not a very nice way to greet somebody, now is it? But… maybe you should actually listen, because I think you might find what I have to say pretty interesting!"

Kyou peered up at the rabbit from his sitting position. "Okay… Say it and then leave me alone."

"No… you have to guess first!" Momiji laughed briefly, displaying a few remnants of his childlike personality.

Kyou could not suppress the urge to roll his eyes, as he replied with a warning look, "Don't waste my time… Just shut up and tell me." Unfortunately, Momiji never ceased to get on his nerves.

"Aw… Kyou is no fun!" Momiji whined teasingly. When he realized that he wasn't going to get a nice, irritated reaction out of Kyou after all the teasing, Momiji responded, "Okay, fine then… Have it your way. Anyway, so I had gone to talk to Papa at his work, and, as I was returning home, I decided to walk around for a bit in the main house. I didn't really have anything better to do, and since it's a Sunday, I could afford to take the time…"

Kyou interrupted, quickly losing the little patience he possessed, "And… your point?"

"Hold on… I'm getting to that…" Momiji added as a side remark. Quickly, he continued on with his recount of the day's events, "So… While I was walking, I had been lurking around the southern end of the compound. And… Kyou… you won't believe who I found there…!"

Kyou said, only half-interested in where this was going, "Let me guess… Kagura in one of her crying spells? But, then again, I haven't seen her for a few years now, so god knows, maybe she's actually gotten over the fact that I just can't love her the way she loves me…"

Momiji answered, shaking his head in response, "No… not her! Actually, I had come across this girl who had fainted on the floor… At the very first glance, I ran over to help her out – because she was really pretty out-of-it, and when I had gotten closely enough to see more clearly who it really was, she was very pale, with long brown hair put up in braids with two silky pink ribbons. I wondered if it could be Tohru, although kind of doubtful about it at first… After all, the last time she had been anywhere near the Sohma estate was seven years. And when the girl finally regained consciousness, my assumptions were correct… Kyou, Tohru was here! She's still around! Still around!"

Kyou's eyes widened for a brief moment, in total intrigue. For a brief moment, he felt a surge of happiness flow through his heart, but quickly, it faded back into sadness, as he lay back against the wall once more. Eyeing the ceiling above as he spoke, Kyou responded, "You shouldn't say things like that Momiji… I mean, it was all years and years ago when that happened… She's better off not getting involved with us Sohmas ever again…"

Momiji answered sadly, "Of course, I was sure you would say that… But I'm sure if she still remembered, she would love you the same as she always did… I still always believed that she would have been so much happier with your curse broken rather than mine. After all, she had wanted to prevent your imprisonment so much…"

Kyou answered darkly, "Stop it! Don't say things like that! That was a long time ago, Momiji. Sure, sometimes I, too, wish I could see her again. But even if I did – which will never happen since I'm stuck in this godforsaken place – it's not like she'll know who I am or anything. Her memories will never come back again… she'll never come back. Don't you see? It doesn't matter anymore – whether or not I'm locked up, so we can all just forget about ever being saved. After all, I kept lying to myself, hoping to be saved throughout my childhood… And did it happen? No, unless you count being locked up in the neko room for the rest of your life as salvation…"

Momiji looked back at Kyou, a much more serious expression on his face. "Is that really true, Kyou? Do you really think that?" He hesitated for a moment, considering whether it was really a good idea for him to argue so strongly against somebody with as bad of a temper as Kyou, but then continued on with even more determination, "I don't. I think that… somehow, someday… she _will_ return to us and save us all from our ultimate fates… And, no matter how much you may say you don't care, Kyou… That day will certainly matter very much to you, too! If you just believe… it'll happen. I just know it!"

Kyou stared at Momiji, who, without another word, left the room. Shutting the door behind him softly, he slowly walked away, leaving the cat to his own devices once again.

Kyou turned his head, to look back towards the barred window. He again returned to it, seeing the pink ribbon. Since night had now fallen, no longer did the ribbon glimmer with many colors as it had in the setting sun. However, as it softly whisked about in the moonlight and the cool breeze, the ribbon's bright pink color remained prevalent.

_Maybe… Momiji was actually right… Maybe there might a way, that you will finally return… _Kyou reached out for the ribbon once more, hoping that somehow he would be able to catch it. Finally, he felt a tickle in his palm, as the silk lightly touched upon the surface of his skin. He wrapped his hands around the ribbon and tugged it away from the shrub, which rustled briefly in the wind. He pulled his hands through the bar, still holding on to the pink ribbon tightly, as he brought it closer to his heart. His eyes whelming in a few small tears of joy…

…_Somewhere out there… a way that we'll finally be together, once more…_

At that very moment, the wind picked up slightly. For a brief moment,Kyou was just barely able to hold on to the ribbon in his grasp. However, in the rising gust, it slipped from his hands and blew away, riding the path of the cool wind into the distance. As he gazed out into the dark night, he saw the ribbon dance through the breeze, contorting elegantly. All of this was done as if it was unable to grace its presence upon the cat, as it said its final farewell before plunging into the unknown, never to return again.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 7:** Chapter 6 already! Wow… it's been a while, hasn't it? This chapter was probably the easiest of all for me to write, being that my outline for it was so concise and detailed. I'm now sobbing my heart out, though… because the ending was so _sad…_ But… at the very least, hopeful. I haven't needed to change the rating of this fanfic yet, because I managed to keep Kyou from saying any curse words this chapter. Also, there were a few minor spoilers (major spoilers won't come until much later on) in this chapter… they might confuse not-up-to-date readers. Don't worry about spoilers, though… chances are, unless you've read the spoilers, you will have no idea what the actual spoilers are in this fanfiction and what I've just made up for the purpose of this storyline. (However, there **is** a major spoiler from chapter 97 that I will not be able to avoid later on in this story, so please be careful!)

Anyway, first off, one question that I'm **very** glad somebody brought up: If Tohru remembered having lived at Shigure's house directly after her memory was erased, then wouldn't she remember a little bit about her living with the Sohmas (even if none of it is directly relating to the curse)? Very observant! -applauds- However, the real answer is a bit complicated, and refers to the prologue of this fic:

Basically, as Tohru describes in the prologue, her memories slowly become more obscured and distant, almost as if she is going away from them. This is because, I believe that Hatori basically does more of a "hypnotic" effect to people's memories, rather than truly erasing them. The effect is that every memory that Tohru had relating to the Sohmas could be suppressed slowly, so that they gradually went away as time went on. First, came the memories of the curse and all of the Sohmas outside of Shigure's house, which were erased immediately, but even still, she knew that she had been living with Yuki, Kyou and Shigure for some time before that (hence her referring to Yuki and Kyou the way that she did at the very beginning of the series right after her memory was erased in "Door to my Memories"). However, as time passes on, slowly these memories became suppressed as well. That being said, even now, she still remembers having lived with somebody else for a short time during high school… She just has no recollection of how significant this had been or who she was living with, and accepts the memory the way it is… Or, tries to anyway…

I'll try to answer more questions next chapter. As always, Neko loves reviews… it's nice to know when people are actually reading what you write. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 7: Reminiscence

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket or any of its characters or plot. All I own is the plot of the story you are reading now._

Chapter 7: Reminiscence

As the Sohma Estate faded away into the distance, Tohru continued to walk forward along the sidewalk. She seemed to wind almost interminably though the streets of Tokyo, although her walk home probably took far less than it felt. Through her entire journey, Tohru was sure to keep her focus solely on the road before her, never even taking a single glimpse behind. She felt more exhausted than she had been for a long time, but her feet seemed to be taking themselves further towards her home on their own accord, free of her command. The only thing that rested for sure in the girl's heart was that she needed to get away from there as fast as she could. Things such as the fact that she was more than a bit tired did not get in the way of that.

The sun gently fell below the horizon, leaving way for darkness to engulf the streets of Tokyo. The lights slowly went on, and formed an array of little shining orbs of light, masquerading the streets with a certain beauty that only the night could muster. A myriad of cars and buses sped past with a soft _whoosh_ every time they passed by. Young people mingled out in the streets, chatting animatedly about the newest films or trends, as they walked past. The heart of the city seemed to be more alive than she had ever seen it before. Granted, she had only lived in this part of the city for about a week thus far, but she had never imagined a Tokyo like this previously in her life. The sight seemed to both intimidate and charm her into believing anything was possible, at the same time.

Tohru rounded the corner, into a small, more familiar street winding its way shyly through a world of glamour and splendor, as a shabby little area that had anything but those qualities marked through its shadowy features. Unlike the celebrated main streets, this street lay deserted, with only she walking along its path. However, as she approached the door of an old, slightly ramshackle apartment building in great need of renovation, her mouth twisted in a faint smile. This was the only home she needed and could not feel any happier, even if she could live in a home as beautiful as those she saw on the Sohma property that she had visited just earlier that day.

As she pressed onwards through the building and up the creaking stairway towards her apartment, Tohru's expression darkened slightly. It seemed the more questions continued to be answered the more questions continued to come up. So many remarkable, yet puzzling, things had occurred that afternoon. What was that mystery that lay behind the name "Sohma", and what did Satsuki mean when she said relationships were difficult for some of her family? What about the fact that Momiji seemed to already know her name before she even told him, and the shocked expressions on Hiro and Kisa's faces when they saw her?

And then there was that small, under-kept building and that orange-haired boy filled with sadness and disdain…

Tohru quivered nervously at the thought. Something was terribly wrong with this situation, and somehow, she felt almost as though the root of the matter lay solely in her hands, but how on earth did she come to have anything to do with it?

Finally, she reached a door marked with a large, silver number 15 at the end of the hallway. Holding out her key in front of her, Tohru quickly inserted it into the keyhole and with a soft _click_ the lock twisted loose. Without hesitation, she grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, relieved to finally have made it home after what seemed a lot longer than the few hours she had actually spent out in the Sohma grounds.

As she entered the room and sat herself down on a modest chair, Tohru gazed around and took in the simple view that was the interior of her apartment. Not having a terribly large sum of money to spend, the young woman had had no desire to clutter her walls with any adornments or ornate, decorative objects, but left the area plain and lacking of any decoration beyond a few pieces of simple furniture and some boxes still left unopened after the move. The apartment was cramped, but absolutely spotless as Tohru had always liked keeping a clean, tidy living space from as far back as she could remember. It was not the best of places, but at least, it was affordable, comfortable, and, best of all, hers. After all, she had finally achieved her dream in life of being able to live and support herself on her own, and she could not have been any more content.

Glancing across the room, the onigiri noticed many boxes still needed to be unpacked. Many objects were still crammed inside the boxes, and, as she had no time to unpack when she first moved in a week previously, many of these she greatly needed. Deciding that it was best to take advantage of her free time while she had it, Tohru decided to continue the unpacking. Otherwise she would likely not have the time for a long while, as she was far too busy during the school week to do anything more than grade papers.

Promptly, she rose from her seat and walked across the navy blue carpet towards the other corner of the room where she had placed all of the boxes needing unpacking. Carefully, she took the sharp edge of a cutting knife (she couldn't afford any other more appropriate tools) and slid it through a film of tape sealing one of the boxes tight. Once this was finished, she pried the box wide open, revealing the contents inside.

She recognized this box as the very last she had packed last Sunday night before her move. Within it lay many memorable objects, as well as several that were not so. There were so many strange trinkets and objects inside, some which made her wonder how she came to be such a packrat without realizing it and others which she looked upon with fondness in her eyes. With much care, she began to withdraw the items from within the box and lay them out on a soft mat on the floor, each item she unpacked instigating a different set of emotions within her mind.

When she finally reached the very bottom of the box, Tohru stumbled upon something very curious. She picked it up from within. A notebook, of some sort? She remembered seeing an object like this only a week before when she had been finishing up preparations for the move. Its cover was a deep greenish shade, with a dark gold, dashed border and the words "Memory Book" inscribed across in slightly faded, golden lettering. It must have been a scrapbook or journal of some kind, though she had no recollection of ever keeping one.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, Tohru carefully opened the book on its spine. Turning to the very first page, she gazed at a familiar sight – the face of her deceased mother was smiling back at her. Her heart filled with warmth at this delightful sight. Quickly she turned the page, but this time, there was writing on it in a very familiar style. Could it be? No, it couldn't be—hers? She squinted to try to make out the small characters floating across the page:

_8th of May, 1998_

_Good day to you. My name is Tohru Honda. I recently turned sixteen years old and currently attending Kaibara High as a first year student. Mom gave this journal to me in hopes that I'd be able to record my experiences, so someday I'll be able to look back and say, "Well, I'm certainly never going to try that again," or, "Oh, I remember that! That was such a fun time." She always used to tell me, "Every memory is worth remembering." In fact, she is the whole entire reason why I am writing now. You see, earlier this week, I received very distressing news from my teacher. My mother, well, she had a bit of an accident, and she… died. At first, I didn't want to believe it. I kept telling myself that it was going to be all right. Everything was going to be okay, like she always told me… like she promised it always would be. Yet, it really isn't. If it was then I wouldn't be sitting here dressed all in black mourning her death in a funeral for her honor._

_I'm scared; I don't know what to think. Left and right I hear everybody speaking all about me. Relatives bickering over custody, saying how sad I must be and heartbroken… That, of course, I am. Yet, I feel like the longer I go without her, the more distant I start to become from my mother. It's like some sort of outside force is pulling me away unwillingly from her, but I don't want to lose her! Really, I don't. I want to hold her close to my heart forever… Never changing… I just want to hold on as tightly as I can…_

_Wait, Grandfather is coming near. He says he has something to speak to me about…_

Reading these words, Tohru's heart raced heavily. Reliving that time in her life nearly a decade ago sprung a shiver down her spine. She could remember that feeling vividly, one of her only memories of her time in high school: not knowing where she was going to go next, feeling her mother fade away from her heart, and desperately wishing to hold on. Now, reading this after all these years, it still gave her a very insecure feeling inside her heart.

Taking a deep breath, Tohru continued to work her way through the book. However, the further she went, the more unfamiliar the entries became. _Did all this really happen to me?_ she thought in confusion. _Who are these people, and why can't I remember them?_ Eventually, she felt too bewildered to bother reading. Frequently, she would also come across a photograph to go along with an entry. Within these photographs, along with the occasional picture of her friends Uo and Hana, she saw herself with many strange people with a variety of hair and eye colors that were anything but conventional. Yet, the unfamiliar figures did not bring her the largest shock of all. No, in actuality, it was the fact that Tohru _had_ recognized a few of these strangers that frightened her the most.

She flipped several pages until she found what appeared to be a small group photograph of her and a few of the younger ones. The vibrant rays of summer radiated from its surface, giving a cheering, relaxed feeling. Most astonishingly, though, were the people _in_ the photograph. As Tohru pored through its surface searching for a familiar face, she felt her heart skip a beat. Looking back at her was a small, forlorn-looking girl with golden eyes holding hands with a young boy with dark chocolate-brown eyes and light, sandy-brown hair. Close by stood another boy (perhaps a little bit older than the other two) with bright golden locks dangling beneath a colorful hat and large brown eyes, beaming cheerfully as if he had never been more happy in his life, and beside him, a plain young girl with long brown hair and wide brown eyes looking up at her. Tohru was seeing her sixteen-year-old self.

_What are Momiji-san, Kisa-san, and Hiro-san doing here? How could I have met them before without even remembering?_ she wondered in bewilderment as she glanced at the photograph glassy-eyed. Perhaps this could explain that odd feeling she experienced whenever she heard the name "Sohma"? She must have had some sort of connection with them in the past after all, but… how?

Yet, the huge surprise was not over yet, for as she flipped towards the next photograph in the notebook, Tohru might have felt her heart stop for a moment.

It was he. That boy with the orange hair that had appeared before her eyes for one fleeting moment while she came past the one ramshackle building in the Sohma compound… he was really there, standing right next to her along with another boy with silver hair.

Her hands trembled heavily over the book's worn pages. They all seemed so happy in the picture, so what was this strange feeling she felt when she looked into those piercing red eyes of his, this mixture of fear and emptiness? Why should she feel this way when looking in the face of a complete and total stranger?

But, evidently from what she had seen here, he must not have been a stranger to her at all… No, it felt more like she was looking into the face of a forgotten lover from another lifetime…

Who was he…?

For a moment Tohru felt like closing the notebook and forgetting about the whole ordeal, about everything she had seen and heard that day, but the curiosity inside of her kept Tohru thirsting for some sort of explanation. She continued onwards silently, although now her gaze was intent, searching frantically for something that would ring a bell in her mind, some familiar sign that would bring everything back and answer all of her questions.

Yet, all she saw were pictures. Pictures and words, none with any visible meaning in her eyes.

As she finally flipped to the last page in the notebook, she noticed at first that it was bare. Maybe she had not managed to complete the journal before whenever it was that she stopped writing in it? But then she noticed it…

That word, scrawled in a hasty manner right at the center of the page, she read in a faint whisper, squinting under the dim light…

"_Cursed."_

Suddenly, she felt it again, that strange, terrible feeling that plagued her as she stood inside the Sohma living complex and felt the gaze of the pitiful red eyes of a nameless orange haired boy.

That was what Satsuki had been referring to about Hiro and Kisa. Tohru recalled those words. _"It was almost inevitable… that their friendship would evolve into something more than that… but…"_

They were cursed.

Suddenly, to Tohru's mixed feelings of horror and apprehension, the name Sohma seemed to have become just a tiny bit more familiar.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 8:** I know I've been so bad taking all of this time to finally release this chapter. Seven months, I think. Oh my gosh… I feel so guilty! -starts apologizing profusely like Ritsu- Anyway, I'm back now for good, so unless anything major happens, I'll be updating a _lot_ more frequently. I'd better, too, because after this cliffhanger, you're going to **hate** me if I don't.

Anyway, before I have a bunch of questions along the lines of, "OH MY GOSH! Does this mean she's just regained her memories?" Which I know I'm going to get a million of before I release next chapter (if anybody actually bothers reading my fanfics anymore), I'll say one thing: what just happened is not as simple to understand as you think.

As to whether her memories are truly back or not, I'll let you keep guessing until next chapter, because I'm just evil like that. No really, I am. Muahahahahaha.

This chapter in general was a particular challenge, I think, because what I decided to do in this chapter basically dictated a route that I would be forced to follow for the rest of the story. That's why it took so long, because I had to be so careful with how I handled it. I mean, the original plan for this chapter was **nothing** like how it actually turned out.

And the thing about the journal, it's the same as always, just I decided to make it into a picture journal rather than a photograph album (oh well, it was never explicitly said, you know, as to what it really was). Oh, and the thing about the single word ("cursed") on the last page WILL have significance later on, I promise you.

See you next time, minna-san!


	9. Chapter 8: Inquisition

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Furuba, its characters, its plot, or anything else in this world that is Fruits Basket-ish (aside from my manga and DVD's of it, of course)._

Spoiler warning update: Obviously, this story does not follow _at all_ by what occurs at the end of the manga series, for those of you familiar with spoilers. However, if you do know of the spoilers, the few that I have included in this story go up to around chapter 119-ish (and are mostly very minor ones). After that, any spoilers have been disregarded (because anything after that would make this tale very unlikely).

Chapter 8: Inquisition

For a few moments, Tohru felt strangely light headed. The young woman was feeling that head-splitting sensation that one might get if they were clubbed really hard on the side of the head with a bag filled with heavy textbooks. The only difference might be that she, in fact, was not hit on the head by any material objects but, instead, by a sudden terrible revelation that made her feel very uneasy, if not nearly emotionally unstable.

However, though she now understood one small piece of the puzzle that was the Sohma family, consequentially, a whole new string of questions were cropping up in alarming quantities in her mind. She still had no inkling of a notion as to who that orange haired boy was, nor did she even hazard a guess as to the way in which the family happened to be cursed. All she knew was that the Sohma family suffered curse, and, in someway or another, she was connected with it.

_For some reason, it feels as though I must have written that word there for a reason. To warn somebody… or maybe prevent something from happening… or even as a reminder, unless…_ The girl's wide brown eyes shifted back towards the direction of the journal, which now lay firmly shut on the floor. _…it was meant to be a reminder, so that when I lost my memories, I would have some way to remember it. However, that would suggest that I actually knew that was going to happen, and surely I wouldn't have allowed myself to forget all of those precious memories, which I'm sure they were, on purpose!_

Thoroughly exhausted from the day's adventure, Tohru wandered back into the comfort of her small bedroom and collapsed onto the pale, blue comforter that stretched across her bed. Carefully, she allowed her head to fall gently upon her soft white pillow. For some reason, it had never felt so comfortable. Then again, maybe she had been thinking too deeply. For now, what she really needed was some rest, and then when morning came, she'd lapse into her reverie once again, however unpleasant.

-

Nearly a week would pass until the "great Sohma mystery" (as Tohru had began to refer to it as) would be called into question once more, but in the meantime, the young lady had encountered a more pressing matter to be taken care of far before she even considered pondering ancient curses and unfamiliar faces. Namely, her aunt.

For some time, it had been a known fact that her aunt was not in the best of shape. She had been suffering from a long series of chronic ailments for many years. In fact, one of the reasons why she had chosen to continue living in the home of Tohru's late grandfather was to defray for money spent on medical attention. Yet, things only worsened when the following Wednesday, Tohru received an unfortunate message from one of her cousins. Her aunt recently had another heart attack and was now staying in the hospital under intensive care.

Her cousin told Tohru, that since he and his sister both had work far elsewhere that needed attending to, they needed her to take care of their mother for them. In addition, they needed her to help cover medical expenses. As the older woman had not been employed at the time, her money supply had continued to dwindle down to a very low quantity and any financial support she could get was needed greatly.

The news had arrived as a bit of a shock for the girl, but she wasn't entirely surprised either, looking at her aunt's past medical history. It would be a bit of a stretch, trying to pay for both her aunt's treatment and the rent for her apartment, but Tohru was determined to make it work no matter what. She'd been in these kinds of situations before and knew perfectly well how to handle them. As for finding the time to drop by for the occasional visit, she could always find the time for something like that. Really, she found no reason to be any less optimistic about her current situation than she was about any other situation.

Meanwhile, Hinata Sohma had finally returned to school, much to the delight of both Tohru and the Partners in Crime (as her mischievous posse of friends had christened themselves). With her arrival came a whole new set of pranks, each more inventive than the last, and though it was a bit exasperating trying to evade them, Tohru couldn't help but smile at all of the fun those friends shared together. In fact, by the fifth prank that week (which had Tohru spend the entire hour of lunch break cleaning the colorful, bright acrylics that had splattered all over her new white board), the young woman was rather fascinated by their creativity and eager to see what they would come up with next, a sort of unorthodox feeling for somebody who had to spend her entire lunch period wiping the white board with dishwashing soap. Yet, aside from Hinata's return to her studies, Tohru heard nothing of the Sohma family or its members for the entire week.

It wasn't until near the end of the week, Friday night, when a thought would even cross her mind again about the Sohmas. She was walking back from the bus station after visiting her aunt at the hospital (at which she was becoming a complete regular; already, the lady at the front desk and several of the nurses had learned her name), when she began thinking about the previous Sunday and her epiphany about the Sohma family.

Of course, she hadn't thought about it much since then, with everything else that was going on simultaneously, but questions still remained, burning to be answered, in the back of her mind. If only she could remember or somebody could explain all of this to her… but that would be asking too much. The only ones who could possibly know were those involved, and she would hate to impose upon the Sohma family's generosity any longer by interrogating them to death.

Tohru sighed heavily, coming up the creaky steps towards the apartment building entrance. If only she knew somebody with some sort of knowledge about this sort of thing, a close friend that might know of what to do in a situation like this…

_But, of course… Hana-chan!_

As she thought of her good friend, her expression brightened considerably. She had been meaning to drop by her friend's shop for a while, and this gave her the perfect opportunity to do so, while allowing Tohru to have a nice, long talk with her about her high school days and what she knew of curses and those with the surname "Sohma". She was sure Hana-chan (as she and Uo nicknamed her friend, Hanajima Saki) would be delighted, as well, at the opportunity to see her best friend. With a spark of newfound excitement, the wide-eyed girl dashed up the stairway hurriedly to get to her apartment so she could use the phone.

When she entered, Tohru immediately grabbed the phone from the reciever to call. She was not sure of the number for Hana-chan's shop, so she had to withdraw her phonebook from one of the drawers in the kitchen to look it up. Finally, she saw the number and quickly punched it in, an aura of jubilance radiating from every move she made.

The phone rang a few times until a young girl's voice answered on the other end. It seemed rather whiny and bored, probably belonging to a teenager impatiently waiting for her part-time work for the day to end, as it said, "Hello, _Mononoke Books and Gifts for the Unworthy Soul_ speaking. This is Hiwasara Ryoko; how may I direct your call?"

Tohru answered kindly, "Hello. My name is Honda Tohru, and I'm a friend of the shopkeeper, Hanajima Saki. May I speak to her for a moment?"

"Uh… yeah," the girl replied in a drone, as if she had five million things in mind that she would rather be doing than answering this call. "Sure, I'll get her right night now. Um……… HANAJIMA-SAN!" Some movement followed at the other end, during which Tohru was sure she heard her friend's expressionless voice.

Finally, Hana-chan picked up the phone and said monotonously (though Tohru would have bet that she was absolutely overjoyed to be hearing from her), "Tohru? What brings you to call at this late hour?"

Tohru replied, "Well, I was wondering if I could stop by at your shop tomorrow afternoon after class is over and the kids have left. That is, unless you already have something planned; I wouldn't want to intrude… but I need to have a little chat with you about something important."

"Whatever could it be?"

"I'll tell you then, but will it be all right if I come?"

"Certainly," Hana replied softly. "Anytime you'd like, Tohru-kun. It would be lovely to have you, and I'll be sure to have some snacks and tea prepared."

"Thank you so very much!" Tohru exclaimed gratefully. "I'll see you then, all right? Take care."

"Good bye, Tohru-kun." There was a brief pause after this, but then she hung up, without a single question asked. All of the questions would wait until tomorrow afternoon, Tohru figured, when she arrived at the shop to let their discussion commence.

-

After the final bell rang to inform teachers and students alike that school was over for the week, Tohru quickly escorted the students to the Parent Pickup and Bus areas before leaving the school for her own excursion. Usually she would stay behind for a few minutes to sort through some paperwork or work on planning for the next week, but today she wanted to be as prompt as possible. She hadn't visited Hana for upwards of about a year, in which time she had gained so much in need of talking about that it was uncanny.

Since her friend's shop was located way on the other side of town, the young woman had to take a monorail in order to reach it. _Thank heavens for Tokyo's transportation system,_ Tohru thought, as she entered the vehicle marked "Eastern Tokyo (Sugisaki Ave./1st St.)". For about ten to fifteen minutes (or maybe even longer, heavens knew how large Tokyo really was), she sat in her seat soundlessly, until the monorail finally pulled up at "Sugisaki Station", and the passengers began a mass exodus from it into the wide streets.

For another five minutes, Tohru stumbled her way through the area (of which she scarcely knew), with a map and address as guide, until finally she reached her destination. Overhead, she looked up at a small sign, on which uneven lettering marked the name _Mononoke Books and Gifts for the Unworthy Soul_. A strange aura seemed to be emitting from it, almost haunting in manner. In any other case, this feeling would make the shop rather shifty, but after all, this _was_ Hana's shop. Normality was not to be expected, so the young woman entered with a warm grin spread across her face, as if she was entering a flower shop, a candy store, or something else that could be considered conventional.

When she entered, Tohru immediately smelled an intoxicatingly calm, relaxing scent about the room that seemed to make her feel slightly lethargic. Lapsing into a daydream, she was only pulled out of her reverie when one of the store clerks, a teenage girl, shook her awake.

"Are you okay?" the girl said, looking at Tohru with a questioning brow, clearly startled. "You'd better be more careful. That dream powder can do that to people if they aren't used to it. Sorry about that… Hanajima-san and Megumi-kun have been experimenting with it again."

Tohru answered, shaking her head briefly to rid herself of the sleepy sensation, "I am quite fine, thank you. My name is Honda Tohru. I do apologize for inconveniencing you."

The girl laughed. "Don't worry, Honda-san. I work here. It's my _job_ to be inconvenienced. By the way, my name is Hiwasara Ryoko. You called yesterday, right? To speak to Hanajima-san?"

"Yes, may I ask whether or not she is here right now?" Tohru asked her absentmindedly at the same time, looking around at all of the various trinkets in the vicinity with intrigue.

"Yeah, she is. Here I'll take you to her. She should be in the backroom somewhere… Hold on." She led Tohru through a door frame covered with multicolored beads stringing down from the top of the frame. An aromatic gas was seeping through the crevices, much like what made her drowsy before, but Tohru made sure not to fall asleep from it this time.

She entered the room to find Hana and her younger brother, a dark-haired young man (who looked nearly identical in appearance to his sister) named Megumi, sitting beside a large bowl, mixing a concoction from some white, powdery substance and a couple of herbs that had evidently come from the storage cabinet marked "Ingredients" that lay ajar against the wall. As she and the girl walked in, the two siblings looked up, their black, expressionless eyes piercing in the dim candlelight of the room.

Upon Tohru's entrance, the older of the siblings, her friend Hana, beckoned her forward, her expression unchanging as she spoke, "Come in, come in, Tohru-kun. I felt your waves approaching, very light and floaty, as usual, but rather nervous, I fear…" There she went, off on her infamous "wave report". "…never mind that, though, how are things?"

The young store clerk departed from the room, but Tohru persisted, replying sweetly to the pale-skinned woman, "Wonderful, Hana-chan! My students have been great as well. Oh, and I see you have Megumi-kun here, too… Have you started working here with your sister?"

The boy answered in a hushed tambour, "Yes, I'm serving as her apprentice. You see, my particular, ah… knowledge in the fine art of cursing is of great use in a shop like this. A nice advantage, if I do say so myself."

"Well, you look quite well, dear."

"And you look very fine yourself." Tohru's smiling eyes completely failed to notice the little flash of light that went across his eyes at that moment. His sister nudged him for a moment as if to reprimand him but said nothing in response.

Hana looked over at the clock. Quietly, she said, "If we don't start talking, it'll grow dark. I couldn't imagine my poor Tohru wandering around after dark, so we should begin. Megumi, will you be able to finish this from here?"

"Of course."

"Very well, then," she responded to her brother, turning her attention to Tohru. "Follow me upstairs, and make yourself at home. We prepared some grilled meat earlier today, and you could use some nourishment. You seem underfed…"

Tohru replied, beaming, "Well, I've been keeping myself well, but if you insist, I suppose I shall take a bite to eat. Thank you so very much for your generosity." She followed her dear friend up the stairway towards a deserted one-bedroom flat above the shop that Tohru could have guessed must be Hana's living quarters.

Offering her friend a seat along her dining table, Hana sat across from her and began, "So, what brings you here to my humble home and shop? Anything in particular, or did you just feel like dropping by?"

Taking the chair she was offered, Tohru seated herself, looking into Hana's lightless eyes sorrowfully. "As a matter of fact, I do have something that I wanted to talk to you about, if you would be so kind to listen."

Hana answered slowly, nodding, "You seem troubled. I can see it in your eyes. They are not as cheerful as they once were."

Tohru gave a nod in agreement. Sadly, she had felt her optimism drain away into harsh realization lately, as well. Then again, Hana always was one to see those sort of things in her. "Yes," she responded. "It is true. I have not been as cheerful lately, but that leads me to what I wanted to discuss. You see…" Tohru explained everything to her - all that had happened in these past few weeks to both intrigue and terrify her. About Momiji, Kisa, Hiro, Satsuki, the mysterious orange haired boy, the name "Sohma", her ailing student Hinata, the green journal, and even… the curse.

"…I've been thinking for sometime, searching for some sort of answer to my questions, but there is nothing to be found. Except one thing. There was a curse. I'm for certain that they all suffered from some kind of curse, and somehow, I'm connected to all of it. I do not know how, but I am. That is why I wanted to see you and talk to you. I think you can help, Hana-chan. Tell me everything you know about the Sohmas, about my high school days, the curse… _anything._ Just, please, tell me."

Hana took a long gaze her way for a moment in deep thought, her eyes expressionless as ever, and said darkly, "I know nothing of a curse, but I do know of the Sohma family and, to some extent, how you and them were connected. I will say one thing, however. You may not enjoy what I'm about to tell you. I do not know why, but the day you lost your memories, you seemed a lot happier to lose them. There must have been something that happened between you and them that changed all of the happiness you shared. Regardless, would you still like me to tell you?"

Tohru hesitated for a moment, and then reassured her friend as confidently as she could, "I do. I may be making a mistake which tomorrow I may regret, but for now, what matters the world to me is regaining my memory. If that means regaining the sad with the happy, I still remain resolute in rediscovering them."

Hana paused for a moment and took a deep breath before saying, "As you wish. Now, let me tell you a story that begins nearly a decade ago, at the dawn of our high school days…"

Tohru grabbed the folds of her skirt for comfort at these words, but remained unflinching and unwavering in her decision. This was it. Soon, she would be delving far back into the deepest recesses of her memory, attempting to uncover a forbidden tale that had not been touched for seven years.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 9:** The suspense! I really wasn't originally intending to end this chapter this way, but it began to run a bit long, so I decided I'd cut their conversation here for this chapter and save Hana's little story for next time. I'll be prompt as I can, I promise!

Although I'm pretty convinced that my old readers have forgotten about me and my story by now, I'm still going to continue anyway. I love this story genuinely, and it just feels _right_ writing it, you know?

Oh, and about Megumi and Hana, I loved being able to write those two. I've never written either character before, and it's a true pleasure to be able to. I especially loved Megumi's "flashing eyes" thing, but I'm not sure whether you guys will pick up on what that was all about (maybe I'm just too much of a Furuba geek since I pay attention to individual personality traits in characters… oh well).

Starting now, I'm changing the rating of this fan fiction to Teen. Now that I know where I'm going with this story (yes, I finally have the ending planned out), I feel that some of the ending sequences are going to be pretty intense for younger readers. There isn't anything questionable or anything, but it's just… drama, you know? Drama is like that - dramatic. I want to play it safe, just in case.

Anyway, I adore you all, so happy reading! 'Til next time.


	10. Chapter 9: A Forgotten Past

**Key to a Forgotten Past**

_Disclaimer: Why on earth would I be writing Fruits Basket fanfics if I actually owned Furuba? My point exactly._

Chapter 9: A Forgotten Past

The young woman's mind remained alert and ready. Every word her friend told her, she knew, would in some way contribute to understanding this empty feeling that constantly weighed on the back her mind. She could not afford to miss a word Hana said.

"…Your mother had died in an accident on May 1st, which, of course, you would know," Hana began to explain in a story-like fashion. "Then, if you remember, you will recall that you went to live with your grandfather."

"For four months, I think," Tohru added with a nod of recognition.

"Correct," her friend answered with her monotone voice. "However, your grandfather was going to do some remodeling to his home, so you had to find somewhere else to live during that time. Now, you never really were very specific about this part when you told Arisa and me, but somehow, you ended up living in the Sohma household with Yuki, Kyou, and Shigure Sohma." (_Those names..._ Tohru thought. _They do sound somewhat familiar, but they do not ring a bell…_) "That boy with the orange hair that you said you remembered was most likely Kyou Sohma. He was pretty hotheaded, with a bit of a nasty temper (he jumped out of a second story window on his very first day of school, gave us all a shock, I assure you), but he genuinely cared for you, Tohru-kun; I'm positive of that. Yuki Sohma, however, was the polar opposite. He was fairly kind (though rather distant towards people he did not know) and known around our school as the reigning prince of Kaibara High, though he was only a first year. He had a particularly annoying group of fangirls that made up about half of the school and had a peculiar dislike of you, Tohru-kun. Well, obviously, I was able to take care of that. (They were frightened of my electro-poison shock waves, even though my abilities don't work that way, but oh well, they were just a bunch of fools.) Anyway, those two used to fight like a cat and mouse, very frequently, and could rarely agree on anything. Shigure Sohma, on the other hand, was their older cousin, a novelist (who wrote some decent books, by the way, I remember reading some while over to visit…)."

Suddenly, Tohru had a fleeting vision. Two people fighting… herself begging them to stop… trying with all of her might to intervene, and then… Could it be…?

The girl decided to continue listening, rather than thinking about that now. "For about two and a half years, you lived with them, probably the happiest days you had lived since your mother's death. During that time, you began to fall in love, or… that's what Arisa and I figured, anyway. We never were quite sure, but it seemed like you had fallen in love with Kyou Sohma, and he had felt the same about you…"

Another image… She was standing out in the rain reaching out her hand towards an orange haired boy, her eyes glazed with tears…

"Yet, suddenly, about a week after high school graduation, I received a call from you. You were sobbing and cried that you were going to have your memories erased. It was rather incoherent, what you said… You were not making a lot of sense, saying something about Kyou-kun being locked away and somebody named Akito-san telling you that you had to get them erased to relieve the pain…"

A black-haired man (or was it a woman?) advancing upon her, holding her wrists tightly against the floor to restrain her, in a dark room with walls colored in black paint… _"Imprisoned…"_

"And then, the next moment we knew, you had forgotten everything. Every memory from the moment right after your mother died had been lost, as if it had never happened. We told you it was amnesia, so you would not worry. Yet, somehow, your waves told a different story to me… of something more sinister…"

And the orange-haired boy trapped inside a tiny, under-kept building of stone, in a filthy, pitch-black room… several bars of metal and a small window separating him permanently from the outside world… _"Trapped…"_

Tohru's mind was wandering now. What could it mean? _What could it mean?_

Hana's tale was droning on now, going above her head, like a mere soundtrack running in the background of a movie. "…I never told you this, but there was something else about those two as well, Kyou and Yuki Sohma. Actually, the same held true for all of the Sohmas I met. Maybe it has to do with the curse that you mentioned earlier."

At once, this comment drew Tohru's attention back to Hana. With much curiosity, she asked, "Whatever could it have been?"

The dark-haired woman gazed into her eyes for a moment, as if debating on whether it would be the right thing to tell her. Finally, she said, "Whenever I was around either of them, along with the usual emotions, their waves always had something very unique - a very different quality, almost inhuman. However, what struck me most of all was this terrible sorrow I would sense, unlike anything else I'd ever felt, and I began to wonder what terrible hardship could have caused this constant sorrow…"

_Kyou-kun… Kyou-kun, I…_ the name hung over Tohru's head, tears beginning to whelm up in her eyes. That orange-haired boy, she knew now who he was and what he had meant to her, but… 

Hana paused for a moment, looking at Tohru's tearing eyes with a rare expression of worry in her own, and continued urgently, "I will tell you now, Tohru-kun. Don't go involving yourself with them ever again. On that day you called me saying you needed to forget every single memory you had gained in high school, you were not yourself. You were terrified, more terrified than I had ever seen you in your life. Please, do not put yourself into a situation like that once more. Arisa and I would be heartbroken to lose the lovely, cheerful Tohru-kun that we have known and loved since junior high school…"

Tohru was not listening anymore. Suddenly, a whole whirlwind of thoughts had taken their hold on her. The locked door had finally opened in the back of her mind, and the memories were flooding out. She felt herself collapse on the floor, falling unconscious. However, her mind was still very much awake, imagining the wildest collage of abstract thoughts. It could have been the greatest dream or the most horrible nightmare… She did not know, but she knew one thing: it was all her own. Every single scene she was imagining was another memory of hers, just like a photograph out of that small green notebook she had written in so long ago.

_Mom, I see it… I know what I've been missing all this time… I know. I know…_

The key to her forgotten past had finally been found, but somehow, acquiring this knowledge had not made her any happier.

-

Tohru woke up the next morning to find herself laying on a soft couch in Hana's cramped living room. Somehow, she was feeling different today, but perhaps this peculiar feeling was a consequence of the fact that she had just regained two-and-a-half years worth of memories the previous night. She shook her head. _No, I mustn't think of that now…_

After she had gained her composure, the young woman turned to find her best friend and her _other_ best friend sitting at the small kitchen table, happily eating grilled meat (what else?) for breakfast. It was only until Tohru sat up and greeted them with a friendly and thoroughly enthusiastic, "Good morning!" when they turned her way and immediately started hugging her and crying out how wonderful it was that she was all right.

"When Hana-chan called saying that you were coming over for a visit and had fallen unconscious, I, at first, didn't buy it," Uo related to her friend, to explain her unexpected arrival. "It was only when I realized that she was actually displaying some worry in her voice that I panicked and said I would rush over as soon as I could. After all, she always sounds calm, even when she is worried. That was a unique experience, right there."

"Well, my dear Tohru-kun had fallen onto the floor unconscious. Of course I would be upset," Hana said calmly. Her speech had returned to its customary, monotonous nature, lacking of any expression whatsoever. "Are you okay, now, Tohru-kun? Is there anything I can get for you?"

Tohru flashed a reassuring smile her way. "I'm just fine. You don't have to worry anymore; I'm alright." That was a complete and outright lie, for she was feeling anything but that, but she was determined not to repeat the mistake she made seven years ago. This time, she would face her fears head on, instead of shrinking away from them. "In fact, I've never felt better!"

Uo beamed at the girl. "Oh… Tohru, you are just the cutest thing! Ever the optimist, no matter what," her expression changed into one of curiosity, "By the way, why did you want to talk to Hana about Prince Charming and orange-top? I thought you couldn't remember them…"

Tohru bit her lip. She had gotten herself into this mess, and they were her best friends. It was only right that they should know. "I… didn't," she answered hesitantly; then, with more strength, she continued, "Not until last night, that is… until Hana-chan started telling me about high school. When she mentioned Kyou-kun, all of a sudden, I started to remember… Terrible, terrible things, they were, but then I realized…"

She smiled warmly at the thought. "Then I realized that amidst all of those horrible things that happened, there were so many warm memories as well, so many kind people I met back then. If I were to have thought about the wonderful things as well as the dreadful, I think I would have realized all that time ago how precious they really were… how beautiful it was that I could look back at those memories and embrace them.

"The life I've been living up to now isn't truly happy, I've come to realize. All along, there has been a feeling of emptiness in my heart. Where I really belong is with the Sohmas. They were my family, whom I loved with all my heart. They made me complete. If it weren't for the fact that I have you, my two best friends in the world, my life would be so cold and lonely without them.

"And the sad part is that I was the one that left _them_ behind, for my own selfish desires. I just feel so sickened by myself that I could…" Tohru's voice trailed off, unable to finish her phrase. Instead, she was sobbing now, as hard as she could. _I have been so selfish,_ she thought amidst all of the tears. _They gave so much to me, and I took away their only hopes of freedom._

Uo and Hana came towards her at once to comfort her. Tohru sniffled momentarily and tried to get some words through from beneath her heavy sobs, "If only there was some way I could help them, a way to repay them for all they did for me…" She tilted her head downwards, as she said this, covering her face with her hands.

Uo opened her mouth to speak, but Hana managed to get her words out before. "Tohru-kun, you know that curse you asked me about yesterday? The one that I did not know of, do you know of its nature, now?"

Tohru looked up at her and thought for a moment. "Yes," she replied, eyes still watering. "I do. Although, now that I think about it I really shouldn't have told you about it…"

"Well, could you tell me of its nature?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot. It was meant to be a secret. Perhaps, someday I might tell you, but I wouldn't want to betray their trust…"

Catching on to where this was leading, Uo chimed in, "Of course, we wouldn't want that. What she means is, maybe you could try finding a way to break this curse."

Tohru's eyes opened wide in shock. Were they seriously suggesting…? "I-I couldn't… I tried seven years ago, but it was impossible."

"Since when has anything been impossible for you, Tohru?" Uo replied, raising a questioning brow.

"'If you do your best, you can accomplish anything.' That's what you've taught us, Tohru-kun," Hana added matter-of-factly.

At first, Tohru did not know how to reply to this, but as she thought more about it, it was true. _Be yourself, Tohru,_ she reassured herself kindly. _That's all you can do. Just like Shigure-san told you all those years ago and Mom, before him._ Then, unable to think of anything else to say, she grinned widely at her two best friends and knew that everything would turn out well in the end, no matter what ended up happening in between.

**Neko's Rambling Corner Part 10:** Oh… there you are Tohru - ever the optimist, as always. Too bad I'm just too evil to make things easy for you. Ohohohoho! -evil laugh-

Somehow, I always seem to plan one thing, and then, my fingers write something completely different (it's a curse, I tell you). As always, my plan for this chapter ended up being completely different from the finished product. I didn't even mean for her to regain her memories until a few chapters from now! Oh well, maybe it was better this way (so I wouldn't continue being so darn repetitive… ah, that was it, I see). I don't know, though… I might have just burrowed myself into a major plot hole that I'll regret in about five chapters. –sigh- Then again, since I'm so unable to stick to my plot outlines, chances are this story will completely let itself wander into some direction that I really didn't want it to go in. I shudder to think what kind of mess it'll become.

You see, Uo and Hana _weren't supposed to know_ about the curse yet, but then I realized that Tohru had actually mentioned the curse to Hana, and I was like, "Oh crap," and had to add it in (thankfully, they don't know any details, they only know of its existence). Oh, and where the heck did Uo come from? She wasn't even supposed to _be_ in this chapter! For some reason, I don't control the characters; _they_ control _me_ (is that the mark of a good writer or a bad writer?). Yet, it made the most sense that way. I _had_ to include Uo. Anyway, the "orange-top" and "Prince Charming" thing was too fun to miss, so in a way, I feel glad that I unknowingly started adding her in (or that she added herself in –shifty eyes-).

All in all, this was the surprise chapter of this story for both the reader and me: built courtesy of my random impulses.

(I know I'm going to hate myself when I sit down to write next chapter and realize I've left myself with nothing to do, since this completely ruins what I had in mind for next chapter.)

Much love, and please review (critique or compliments accepted) to let me know you are reading (I'm so happy you all are still reading, by the way -hugs-)! I don't bite (much).

Nekochan Kawaii


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